Solunarium

For nearly five millennia, the Dual Realm Kingdom of Solunarium has been a beacon of civilization in an otherwise hostile desert- a resplendent jewel set against an arid wasteland. Though the insular Solunarian civilization claims broad borders encompassing the entirety of the vast Atraxian desert, only small pockets of this immense region are actually populated. This remnant of a bygone era has survived largely due to its remote environs and contains only two major population centers and sundry small settlements along the River Vasta and around oases that speckle the desert. The eponymous capital city, also known as “The City of Light and Shadow”, is nestled at the base of the volcanic Mount Sorokyn. The remoteness of the kingdom proper has served as a strong line of defense against foreign powers attempting to invade from the coasts, and the Atraxian border with the Ecithian Commonwealth has prevented incursions from the land. Only three invasian attempts have been waged in its five thousand years history. Solunarium is a theocratic hereditary electorate, ruled for millennia by the ancient, “unbroken line” of Aværys- named for the founding father of the kingdom, a member of the ethnoreligious Re’hyaen elven minority, who came to be esteemed as a messianic figure and, ultimately, one of two chief deities in the Varæryn pantheon, alongside his twin sister/wife Varvara. More recently, the long-silent Draconic Dynasty of Sol'Zalkyrion has asserted their claim to rule half the realm. As of 1 Glade 123, they rule from their seat in the Umbrian Undercity of the capital.

Founders	Aværys I Imperator, Divine Sovereign of the Dual Realm of Solunarium and Varvara I Imperatrix, “Mother Midnight”
Current Ruler	Her Divine Radiance Thalya IV Imperatrix, Solar Sovereign of the Dual Realm.
Ruling House	Sol’Aværys (Luxium), Sol'Zalkyrion (Umbrium)
Demonym	Solunarian
Population	Roughly 5 million
Territory	The Kingdom of Solunarium claims the entirety of The Atraxian Desert in Northeastern Ecith.
Government Type	Theocratic Dynastic Electorate
Prominent Religions	Messianic Varærynism
Notable Races	15% Re’hyaen Elven, 65% human, 20% other
Official Language	Vastian
Additional Languages	Vallenor, Common

History

A Desert Power

Before it was known as Solunarium, the region housed a modest human settlement, founded by a tribe known as the Vastii. At some point in the Age of Wonders this simple agrarian tribe found a pastoral plot of land in Northern Ecith and built up a settlement, the name of which is lost to the annals of history. What is known is that after many years of peace and prosperity they were besieged by the forces of the Orkhan who were, at the time, still under the direct sway of Malgar, God of Suffering. Many of the Vastii were slain or enslaved, but some escaped and trekked East in search of refuge. Collecting other wayward humans on the journey, they never remained in one place for long, fearing the Orkhan would overwhelm them again. Eventually their path led them into the hostile environs of the Atraxian Desert, but in the midst of that wasteland they found the first place in Ecith where their Orkhan pursuers would not tread. By this point, the tribe had grown accustomed to roaming and it was quite some time before they would attempt to establish another permanent settlement.

Though they had led this nomadic life for many years, the hardships of the Atraxian desert eventually grew too great for the Vastian refugees to endure and they wound up forming a permanent settlement to the North of the desert out of their hitherto transient caravanserai, which came to be known as Vastium. Set in the shadow of the craggy Zalkyr Mountain range, Vastium became a thriving, albeit insular, metropolitan center nourished by the River Vasta, which provided fresh water for drinking and irrigation, as well as a bounty of fish and mineral-rich aquatic vegetation. The first and only dynasty of princes to rule in Vastium were the Caelian kings of the First Vastian Epoch.

The Perilous Pilgrimage

While Vastium was developing into a desert metropolis, far to their North in Sol’Valen a struggle was brewing between the majority and a splinter group of Hytori who sought reconciliation and reunification with their widely-shunned Siltori cousins. They belonged to a religious minority called The Re’hyaen Faith, which was widely deemed a cult and centered around the worship of the Dragon Goddess of Sunlight, Ysadrin and her lunar male counterpart, Nerix to the neglect of most other deities in the pantheon. They believed the Hytori and Siltori were two sides of the same cosmic coin, and that their reunification would herald a renaissance for the Elven peoples. Notably, their largesse was not afforded to the Dratori whom they believed to be an impurity that beset their race long before Ilixdor drew them out of the First Elves’ blood. If the Hytori were the sun and the Siltori were the moons, then the Dratori were the ominous clouds that occasioned to obscure the glory of the heavens’ radiance. Naturally, their belief system led to regular interbreeding between Hytori and Siltori Re’hyaens, who did not deem the offspring of these unions to be mixed blood, but rather a truer form of Elf. As such, Re’hyaen came to be considered an ethnicity as well as a faith.

Their controversial beliefs led to persecution, and their resultant umbrage led to insurrection. Eventually, the bulk of the Re’hyaen devout were cast out of Sol’Valen by the royal house of Sol’Miaren. The erstwhile Re’hyaen leader and high priestess, Ilythia, led them on a southerly pilgrimage to the shores of Ecith. These wayward wanderers traveled these new realms for nearly half a century, through cities and jungles- farmsteads and tundral plains- Finding themselves unwelcome whithersoever they roamed. Finally, the Re’hyaens found a land where the sun and moons shone brighter than they had ever seen and hung perpetually in a clear, cloudless sky. This, Ilythia explained, was their promised land.

The Atraxian Desert proved more a trial of faith than a land of milk and honey. As they trudged toward the realm of the rising sun, they found scant supplies of water and their dwindling provisions needed to be diligently rationed. Many died on the trek, due to starvation, dehydration, heatstroke and predation by some of the ferocious fauna that endured in the desert. Like the Vastii who roved these lands before them, they found succor when they came upon the River Vasta. Their numbers had dwindled, but those hardy survivors drank deeply of the Vasta’s waters and surfeited upon the nourishing fish and kelp that bobbed at her banks. Revitalized, the elven pilgrims followed the bends of the river until it led them to a thriving metropolis at the foot of a towering pike: Vastium.

Of Elven Bondage

The Re’hyaens were welcomed warmly by the Vastii, though the language barrier between their two peoples seemed to create obstacles early on. In point of fact, their inability to communicate clearly probably delayed the eventual conflict that would sunder their initial bond. In those early days, however, they were able to unite as two disparate tribes of refugees of subjugation who had found safety in this desert oasis.

This period of peace was not to be long-lived, as the Re’hyaen faith’s flagrant message of Elven supremacy grated upon the city’s human majority. More and more skirmishes broke out between the Re’hyaen minority and the greater human population until Laertes II of House Caelius, King of Vastium, enraged at the apparent arrogance of their elven guests, sought to disabuse them of the notion of elven superiority. He ordered his armies to enslave the elves and set them to work in the mines of Mount Sorokyn. Upon hearing this decree, the Re’hyaens immediately rebelled and attempted to fight off their human oppressors, but to no avail- Their numbers were too few. And so, for two hundred years, the Re’hyaen elves were held in bondage by the Kingdom of Vastium.

During the latter years of Re’hyaen enslavement, a pair of twins were born. Like most Re’hyaens, they were of mixed Hytori and Siltori descent. The boy was named Aværys and the girl was named Varvara. Aværys was born with the sunlit features of a full-blooded Hytori, and Varvara bore the moon-pale characteristics of a Siltori. Though they were set to work the mines from a very young age, they were devout believers in the Re’hyaen faith and could recite the entire Re’hyaen Book of Blood from memory by age seven. At thirteen, Aværys translated the scripture of his people into both the Vastian and Common tongues. Beyond this, he led a devout but unremarkable life for his first twenty years, apart from one incident when he was fifteen working the Sorokyn mines and stumbled upon an ancient ruin. This unfathomably old subterranean city housed a temple emblazoned with runes from a long dead tongue. Within this temple, Aværys discovered an artifact- An ark containing two dragonshard talismans bearing ancient runes of divine origin. He tucked them away, later giving one to his sister Varvara and keeping the other for himself. At twenty, Aværys married another elven slave named Thalya in a modest ceremony held in the courtyard of their labor encampment. Within a year, their marriage produced a son named Solus. Although Aværys was a dutiful, even-tempered slave, the growing Re’hyaen population in general was growing increasingly restless during this period. Re’hyaen rebels regularly terrorized their human oppressors with magical and practical acts of terrorism, which turned Vastian opinion even further against them. There was growing fear that the elven rate of reproduction was too high, and there were calls for a culling. Eventually, then-king Vastius IV of Vastium heeded the demands of his subjects and sent his centurions forth into the labor camps to gather the first-born sons of the elven slaves. Uncomprehending, parents wept and fought with their childrens’ captors, but most of the first born sons were successfully apprehended and brought to the summit of Mount Sorokyn, where they were hurled into the churning, fiery mouth of the volcano- their screams echoing throughout the valley as their parents wailed below.

Upon realizing what had transpired, Thalya shattered a bowl and slit her own throat with one of its shards. The once peaceful Aværys, overcome with a fury like none he’d ever felt, fled to the peak of Mount Sorokyn. He dropped to his knees at the edge of the volcano’s maw, and pleaded to the gods:

“Return our children to their parents' keeping! I will sacrifice myself for Solus and all the rest!” And with that, he hurled himself into the fiery abyss. Although she did not reach him in time, Varvara had pursued her brother up the mountain and heard his call to the gods. Knowing that Aværys’ sacrifice was insufficient, Varvara made an alternative plea to darker forces.

“For the lives of our children, let my brother return in power to deliver seas of royal blood to surfeit the most ravenous god in whatever pantheon heeds my plea! Conduct Aværys back to me, and I will see this dread deed executed!” The ancient talisman against her chest began to emit a shadowy aura that called out to its counterpart in the roiling lava below. Varvara’s eyes went black and the shadow engulfed her as Mount Sorokyn began to tremble beneath her feet. Her pleas had been heard by not one, but two divine beings.

A Divine Detente

As Varvara felt the creeping shadow of a potent force engulf her soul in a dark apotheosis, a beam of light burst forth from the volcano and turned the night sky over Vastium brighter than midday. Humans were woken from their slumber and elves gazed skyward with eyes salty from grieving the loss of a generation of offspring, as the image of a radiant gold dragon emerged from the volcano’s mouth with a thunderous roar. It was the ancient great golden dragon Zalkyrion, who had entered dormancy millennia earlier within the volcano. Astride that dragon sat Aværys reborn, now imbued with a divine potency- He was aglow with an otherworldly aura and above his head hovered the incorporeal image of a dual crown- lower and wider was brilliant golden diadem and above it was a narrower ring of resplendent silver.

The dragon alighted before the Vastian Royal Palace and let out a bellow that shook its walls. When the king emerged under guard, Aværys spoke in a booming voice heard throughout the whole of the city.

“King Vastius, you have made a grave error in spilling so much blood for naught. Such a lofty sacrifice as the children of an ancient race might have sated the hungers of many a god, but they were only executed in tribute to your mortal arrogance. We, the aggrieved, have treated with the Divine and offered them nourishment in exchange for the power to exact revenge against our oppressors.”

At this point, King Vastius dropped to his knees- overcome by terror at the preternatural presence looming before him on the back of a wrathful wyrm. He pleaded for the mercy he denied the enslaved elves, and Aværys spoke on.

“People of Vastium: Your king has transgressed against us and murdered our children. For their lives, we claim his line. We will cleanse Vastium and erase the Royal House of Caelius from the face of Ransera. Any man, woman or child with Caelian blood going back ten generations to the founding of this kingdom will be fed to Mount Sorokyn. King Vastius is my offering, but any human of guiltless blood who brings forth a Caelian to be sacrificed on the Mount will be created a lord amongst men in the Kingdom to Come. Rise, Vastii, and raze this palace to crumbling clay and sand, that we may rebuild it anew under the light of a Greater Power!”

And with that, Zalkyrion bounded forth and collected the shrieking king in his mighty talon, launching into the air and soaring skyward. It is said, the laughter of Varvara could be heard echoing out of Mount Sorokyn’s mouth as her deific brother flew his wyrm over the gaping peak and Zalkyrion released the belatedly repentant royal and watched with relish as he tumbled into the same magma that had consumed him ere his rebirth.

Vastium, too, was reborn that night. The awed Vastii turned on their former kings, and the whole of the Caelian line was rounded up for slaughter. Varvara, like her brother, had been touched and molded by Divinity, though she had become an avatar to a darker, quieter being than the bright, blustering Mistlord that inhabited Aværys. With her hallowed, onyx eyes she could see into the hearts of men, so she knew the true-blooded Caelians from those wrongly accused by men of great ambition and few scruples. Those who brought forth false Caelians were, themselves, hurled into Mount Sorokyn’s maw. By sunrise, the blood of hundreds of innocent elves was answered with over a thousand humans and those who had been slaves found themselves masters over a new realm, which Aværys named Solunarium- A word in the Vastian tongue that bore a Re’hyaen sentiment: The realm of sun and moons.

The Epoch of the Crusader

In the ensuing years, the twins touched by divinity, came to be regarded as messianic figures in the Re’hyaen faith which conflated Aværys with the proud, uncompromising sun and Varvara with the serene, watchful moon. Before long their legend sprung a new religion adopted by elves and humans alike: The Varværyn Faith. True to his word, Aværys created lords and ladies of those humans who delivered Caelian blood up for sacrifice. However, their nobility was mitigated by the new hierarchy created under the caste system devised by the newly crowned Aværys I Imperator, Divine Sovereign of Solunarium. In retribution for their murdered children and years of servitude, the Divine Sovereign declared that all of the former elven slaves would be henceforth held in higher esteem than their whilom human masters. Moreover, he bound the Vastii through a divine covenant to serve and revere the line of Aværys unto their thousandth generation- Effectively forcing the entire kingdom into the service of himself and his progeny unto remote posterity beyond reckoning.

In hopes of establishing a dynasty of divinity, Aværys married his divine twin sister and created her Varvara I Imperatrix, co-ruler of his newly forged kingdom. They would reign for over five hundred years and she would bear him eleven children: Astræon (m), Thalya (f), Naxos (m), Sorokyn (m), Ilythia (f), Marwynn (f) Danann (m), Vlahos (m) Taissa (f), Thalindril (f) and Phaedryn (m). Of these children, only Danann and Phaedryn took after their mother in Siltori appearance, whilst the others resembled their golden father. In hopes of expanding their divine power over generations, the siblings were paired off and married to each other. Only the youngest, Phaedryn, who had no female counterpart, was allowed to marry outside his nuclear family.

During the early years of the twins’ reign, as they were codifying the policies of their new kingdom, many refugees traveled from afar to discover the source of the divine light that burst forth from the desert on that fateful night when the elven firstborns were executed. It had been visible from a thousand miles away, and pilgrims from all over Ecith were curious. Many took it for a sign, and sought it out only to find the perils of the Atraxian Desert too great to endure. Those who survived the trek were unlikely to survive a return trip and so they set down roots in the city. The most important resource brought by these refugees were the stories of their homelands- Many of which were in turmoil. The ravenous deific twins, whetted by the taste of Caelian blood, thirsted for more. They resolved to expand their empire by avenging the refugees who’d arrived at their capital with tales of hardship and oppression in foreign climes.

A Gathering of Wyrms

The Divine Detente between the Mistlords that awoke in Aværys and Varvara yielded a frightening amount of power, and the pair fed off of one another’s predilections. Avaerys demanded submission and thrived upon sacrifice, whilst Varvara quietly stirred his hunger and that of their subjects to expand their realms and gather greater power. To slake these sanguine thirsts, they sought to conquer distant realms abroad of the Atraxian desert in the names of the aggrieved refugees who’d sought solace in their great city. To this end, they summoned a host of dragons and wyverns to help their vanguard traverse the vast wasteland between Solunarium and other civilized nations. The mighty Zalkyrion’s offspring were bound to Aværys and Varvara’s children who served as legates in their vengeful crusade and other, lesser wyrms were drawn forth by the eldritch will of Zalkyrion and his demi-deific charges. Notably, the only one of Avaerys’ children who failed to bond with a dragon was Phaedryn, which was deemed portentous and earned him the moniker “Phaedryn the ill-starred”.

For centuries, Solunarium was engaged in wars of conquest- Turning their remote desert city into the heart of a formidable empire, heavily relying upon archmages and dragons to maintain their hold on their distant colonies and client kingdoms. This continued unabated, until the royal house began to enforce mandatory observance of the Varværyn religion, which aggrandized them as god emperors and served vengeance in lieu of justice. It was this latter point that led to the downfall of the founders of Solunarium, when a Draegir with opposing aims came to stand athwart their steady advance abroad of Ecith.

The War of the Justiciar

It was only when the forces of Solunarium had encroached deep into the realms of Ailizane that they were faced with formidable opposition. When Solunarian Wyrmriders led by Vlahos, second youngest son of Aværys and Varvara, sacked a settlement in the Southeast of the northerly continent, they were met with divine retribution in the form of Arcas. Vlahos was slain and his wounded mount, the dragon Rhekainoxys, returned to Mount Sorokyn to tell the tale.

Not since the murder of his first son Solus had Aværys been so wrathful. Even Varvara, who was not as quick to anger as her brother-husband, was beset with deific ire and the two god-rulers of Solunarium summoned the bulk of their wyrmriders to exact their righteous revenge upon those who’d slain their eldest son. Believing it was their destiny to conquer Sol’Valen on behalf of the Re’hyaen refugees who’d been cast out centuries earlier, their draconic armada made for Silfanore in force.

A conflict of ideologies would play out in what amounted to a war over the preeminence of Justice versus that of Vengeance. Arcas was joined by Raxen in opposition to the Aværyan advance, leading a Hytori host. They intercepted the invaders some fifty miles South of Silfanore, where a maelstrom of flames washed over the land and much blood was shed, but in the end Aværys and Varvara, being foreign invaders with the bulk of their resources on another continent, were overwhelmed by the might of Arcas and Raxen. It is said that the Solunarian founders were routed and corralled into a cave at the foot of Mount Kaladon. Rather than permitting their opponents the satisfaction of exacting revenge upon them, Varvara and Aværys embraced and slew one another- Their blood was as lava, and as it spewed forth it filled the cavern and Mount Kaladon erupted as a newborn volcano where none had been before. To this day, Mount Kaladon in Ailizane is a sacred site for Solunarian pilgrims.

Back in Ecith, their empire was broken, the bulk of the surviving dragons and wyverns dispersed across Ecith- free of their bonds, and the Solunarian hold on their distant colonies was severed. The loss of their divine rulers and their colonies abroad has come to be known as The Rending, which marks the beginning of Solunarium’s “modern era”.

The Unbroken Line

Of the many eventualities for which Aværys was prepared, his demise never came into the planning. The unanticipated divine intervention left Solunarium in chaos with a power vacuum and no clear line of succession. By this time, most of the sons and daughters of Aværys had died, whether in battle or of old age. They had not inherited immortality from their divine parents, and only Phaedryn remained alive. A conclave of the cadet branches of the Royal line gathered to devise a system of succession. It was decided that whichever scion of the line bore the most magical potential was the closest to divinity and therefore the true heir to Aværys. Phaedryn recognized that his progeny, who were not the product of Aværyan incest, were deemed impure in the eyes of his older siblings. It was Phaedryn himself who devised the current system of succession. The line of Phaedryn was recused from consideration in perpetuity and would serve, instead, as the Masters of Semblance who would recommend the new sovereign from the ranks of the other branches of the family by assessing their aetheric prowess. Phaedryn the Ill-Starred, like his divine mother, was a quiet, clever creature who secured his power through subtler means. In exchange for his willing sacrifice, he and his line were afforded many boons- Ultimately including stewardship over the Umbrium and control of the Silver Sentinels.

The First Conclave found Ilyxia, daughter of Naxos and Ilythia, had the most aetheric potential and a crown of dragonshard was forged with which to coronate the golden granddaughter of Aværys as Solar Sovereign to sit the Radiant Throne. She married her first cousin and established many of the systems that remain in place today. The ancient ruins of Oblitium discovered in the Sorokyn mines were excavated and renovated into what we now know as The Umbrium.

After the Age of Aværys, Solunarium receded into isolationism. Even those few Solunarian sovereigns who were ambitious enough to dream of expanding or reclaiming their former colonies lacked the means. The desert was too vast and unforgiving and, without an airforce of dragons to complement their infantry, any attempt at invading a foreign nation would be costly and fruitless.

There have been several attempts to conquer Solunarium from without, but the same obstacles that hinder the kingdom’s expansionist ambitions also protect them from those of others. While the city of Solunarium has never been conquered by mortal foes, their port city was conquered twice. In each instance, the Solunarian sovereign chose to raze the city to the ground rather than permit it to remain occupied. It is for this reason that the city, formerly known as East Vastium, is now named Tertium- Because it is the third iteration of the city.

Civil Blood

Far bloodier than the foreign invasion attempts have been Solunarium’s several internal conflicts. In the early years following The Rending, there were those who dissented from the notion of succession granted to the most powerful mage. A faction of the royal family adopted the belief that Solunarium should abide by the laws of lineal primogeniture. Declaring the reign of Ilystria I Imperatrix illegitimate, they supported the rule of Astralon, great grandson of Aværys and Varvara through their eldest children, Astræon and Thalya. The cadet House of Astræon-Aværys garnered support from elves outside the royal family and pressed their demand with force, resulting in The Cousins’ War. After three years of bitter bloodshed, Astralon surrendered. Queen Ilyxia showed mercy and, more than that, lauded Astralon’s fervor in his beliefs and his commitment to seeing them realized. She named him the first Keeper of Laws and he pledged to be as zealous in upholding her reign as he’d been in challenging it. Those who died in the Cousins’ War came to be regarded as a blood sacrifice that resulted in a stronger royal house.

More recently, about a century before the present day, another civil war shook the foundations of Solunarium. Upon the death of Solar Sovereign Solus II Imperator, a conclave was called and the members of the Unbroken Line gathered before the Master Sembler to be assessed. Master Sembler Rehayos of House Phaedryn-Aværys shocked the assembled royals by declaring that the most promising mage in the royal family was none other than his own son, Alcinaeus. Not only was the Phaedryn branch of Aværys’ line recused from succession by Phaedryn himself millennia earlier, they were also deemed to be impure for marrying outside of the family. The matter might have been easily quashed, if not for Alcinaeus’ appearance. He was one of the exceedingly rare scions of Aværys who was born a “Platinum Elf” with a blend of Hytori and Siltori features- considered an unmitigated blessing in the eyes of Varværyn congregants. The houses of Naxos and Vlahos sided with the Master Sembler and supported the coronation of Alcinaeus, whilst the the branches of Astræon, Sorokyn and Danann believed that only full-blooded scions of “The Unbroken Line” could sit the Radiant Throne. They demanded that the crown be granted to the most powerful mage of the pureblooded branches and that House Phaedryn continue to stand aloof of the line of succession. The ensuing conflict has come to be known as the Bellum Successionis, and ended with the rise of Solar Sovereign Thalya IV Imperatrix and the summary execution of Alcinaeus- an act which rocked Solunarium to its very core. Even to the present day, there are those who believe Alcinaeus was meant to be the progenitor of The Coming Race who would have resurrected The Living Aværys and brought about The Platinum Age of Solunarium. In an act which some deemed merciful and others deemed foolhardy, Alcinaeus’ daughter Cithaera was permitted to live, eventually assuming the title of Master Sembler.

The current ruler, Solar Sovereign Thalya IV Imperatrix, is approaching the hundredth year of her reign. Though she displays no signs of slowing down, the subject of succession is a matter of frequent discussion at The Radiant Palace with many curious as to whether their next ruler will reign from the Solar Court aboveground or the Lunar Court in the Palatium Umbrarum.

Climate and Geography

Apart from a few scant and scattered oases, the only habitable area for most sentient races of Ransera lies along the banks of the River Vasta which flows Northeast into the Crystal Sea. The vast majority of the land that lies within the borders claimed by Solunarium is an arid wasteland, roamed only by the hardiest of creatures- many of which are extremely deadly. For reasons unknown, the Primals that tread the rest of continental Ecith do not breach the borders of the Atraxian Desert. Some believe this is due to some lingering magic practiced in the forgotten realm of Oblitium that infuses the sands of Atraxia into the present day.

During daylight hours, the region is balmy during the warmer months topping out at about 125 degrees F, and rarely dips below 60 degrees F, even at the height of Frost. Regardless of the season, the nights can be significantly colder. Notably, the Umbrium region maintains a more consistent temperature, though it can vary depending on proximity to the core of Mount Sorokyn with the hottest quarter being the Thalamum Draconum which feeds directly into the mouth of the volcano.

Despite these hostile environs, the Solunarians have been able to make the most of their limited resources- digging canals and constructing aqueducts to hydrate their people and irrigate their farmland. Solunarians raise livestock for meat and milk and cultivate a wide variety of crops, ranging from grains to fruits. The Atraxian Expanse rarely sees rain, so the culture is wholly reliant upon the waters of the river to nourish their crops and cattle.

Mount Sorokyn, an active volcano looms over the Solunarian capital city. Sorokyn stands at over twenty-thousand feet and its rocky depths provide most of the mineral resources utilized by Solunarium. Sorokyn is actively mined, and has produced a hearty supply of metal ore as well as dragonshards over the years.

Several millennia ago, the remnants of an earlier civilization were unearthed in the caverns below Mount Sorokyn. Though little is known of this culture, its ruins were excavated and incorporated into what is now known as the Umbrium- the undercity which bustles below the terrestrial capital.

On the Northeastern border, where the River Vasta meets the Crystal Sea, sits the port city of Tertium, which lays across the land surrounding the delta and occupies a fortified island just offshore, which houses the headquarters of the Solunarian Riverguard. The delta is carefully supervised, as the fastest and safest means of travel to the heart of the kingdom outside of flight, is upriver. Tertium serves as a strategic choke point for any threats attempting to enter or leave the kingdom proper.

Government

The House of Sol’Aværys

One family claiming divine descent sits at the top of the Solunarian hierarchical pyramid. House Sol’Aværys’ “Unbroken Line” are regarded as the divinely appointed rulers of the realm, and wield tremendous power over the daily lives of their subjects. Though ruled, at any given time, by a single sovereign with absolute authority, the ancient cadet branches of the House (named for the sons of the founders) manage different departments within the government based on their disciplines of focus.

Cadet Branches of the Sol’Aværys Dynasty

Astraeon-Aværys: The House of the Crusader Title of House Head: Princeps Legatus (Keeper of Swords) Oversees the Solunarian Golden Legion.

Naxos-Aværys: The House of the Avenger Title of House Head: Princeps Praetor (Keeper of Laws) Oversees the Collegium Magistratuum and the Ministerium Legum, which presides over the Solunarian Senate as well as the praefecti who govern sectors and settlements.

Sorokyn-Aværys: The House of the Cultivator Title of House Head: Princeps Camerarius (Keeper of Fundamentals) Oversees the Ministerium Culturae, which manages agriculture, arts and sciences.

Danann-Aværys: The House of the Enricher Title of House Head: Princeps Consul (Keeper of Coin) Oversees the Ministerium Fisci, which manages the treasury, as well as foreign and domestic trade.

Vlahos-Aværys: The House of the Lorekeeper Title of House Head: Princeps Pontifex (Keeper of the Faith) Oversees the Ministerium Divinitatis, which manages education and spiritual affairs pertaining to the officially recognized faith.

Phædryn-Aværys: The House of the Stargazer Title of House Head: Princeps Sibylla (Master Sembler) Oversees the Ministerium Diplomatis, which manages the Silver Sentinels and the diplomatic wing of the government. They also preside over the Conclaves of Succession and assess potential heirs for magical prowess before the council of electors.

Concilia

The Regium Concilium is a council composed of the heads of each cadet branch of The Unbroken Line, as well as the consuls of both the elven and human senates. They serve as advisors to the Sovereign, whose authority is absolute. Though the Sovereign stands aloof atop the pyramid with the Regium Concilium directly below, there are lesser leaders called Praefecti who serve as governors of particular regions within the capital and the greater kingdom. Both the elven Ex-Re’ha and human Patrician Castes also have their own senates, which handle legislative affairs beneath the interest of the Sovereign.

The Concilium Draconum was a council that existed during Aværys’ lifetime, which was composed of Zalkyrion and the other dragons of his line. They advised the Crown and participated actively in Solunarian politics until the Rending claimed nearly half their number. In the pursuant period, the dragons withdrew from the affairs of mortals to grieve in relative solitude for centuries. The surviving Zalkyrian Dynasty stands aloof of contemporary politics.

Succession

Of the many eventualities for which Aværys was prepared, his demise never came into the planning. The unanticipated divine intervention left Solunarium in chaos with a power vacuum and no clear line of succession. A conclave of the cadet branches of the Royal line gathered to devise a system of inheritance. It was decided that whichever scion of the line bore the most magical potential was the closest to divinity and therefore the true heir to Aværys. A system was set in place whereby the line of Phædryn would be recused from the line of succession in perpetuity and would serve, instead, as the practitioners of Semblance who assessed aetheric prowess in the ranks of the other branches of the family. Based on this assessment, the conclave casts votes and a new ruler accedes the throne.

The Zalkyrian Dynasty

In addition to the Elven royal house, Solunarium reveres the draconic dynasty of Zalkyrion, a mighty golden wyrm who Aværys rode into battle in his crusader days. Though Zalkyrion, his mate Shaqqarava and two of their offspring were slain in Sol’Valen during the War of the Justiciar, the remaining five offspring of Zalkyrion survive to this day, nesting within the bowels of Mount Sorokyn in what is known as the Thalamum Draconum or “Dragon Chamber”.

The Senatus Solunarius

Most citizens of Solunarium are apolitical creatures, which is a situation that is actively encouraged by the Crown and much of the ruling class. The harsh borders drawn in the Solunarian caste system prefer that the unwashed masses know there place, which is far away from the decisions of State that concern their betters. There are, of course, abundant exceptions and sundry examples of lower caste Solunarians who take a keen interest in politics and, moreover, the rabble are frequently political pawns for manipulative members of the gentry.

Although Solunarium is an Absolute Monarchy, the elite of the realm are afforded some agency over their governance beyond mere advisory roles. This comes in the form of the Senatus Solunarius. In general the Solunarian Senate presides over matters that are beneath the concern of The Crown or outside the interest of the reigning Sovereign. While, on paper, the Senate seems to represent all of Solunarium’s citizenry, its membership is solely composed of members of the elite classes. No one below the level of patrician has ever served in a Solunarian Senate seat.

There are two houses of the Senatus Solunarius. The higher house (or Senatus Major) is for elves of the Populus Ex Re’ha and the lower house (or Senatus Minor) is for humans and persons of mixed descent of the Populus Patricius. In both houses, seats are reserved for particularly notable families- most of whom have had senate seats for centuries. The Paterfamilias of a given senatorial family is a de facto senator, but may abstain from their duties or assign a representative to serve as senator on behalf of the family- Usually a member of the family, but always a member of their own caste.

There are no officially recognised political parties in Solunarium, but the lines of division are no less stark for their lack of codified labels. It is no secret amongst the elite that there are two prevailing ideologies that guide the decisions of Solunarium’s leaders- Both of which have foundations in interpretation of Holy Scripture.

The Sanguinists: These might be considered the conservatives of Solunarium. They uphold the longstanding belief that the Crown must be held by direct descendents of the founding deities, Aværys & Varvara, whose blood has not been polluted by any alien lineage. The so-called “Unbroken Line” of brother-sister, cousin-cousin marriage that has produced a branchless family tree over the centuries is believed, by Sanguinists, to stand sacrosanct. The Sanguinists enjoy the unmitigated preference of The Crown.

The Immaculists: The more progressive of the two factions, the Immaculists believe that the blood of the Founders is incorruptible and that the Sanguinists insult their gods by presuming their blood to be so weak as to require so many limitations. All Immaculists believe House Phædryn-Aværys should be allowed into the line of succession, and some more radical members of the faction believe that even half-elves and ostensible humans claiming distant elven descent from the Founders should technically fall into the line of succession. Immaculism is a more dangerous path than Sanguinism, and members of this faction risk incurring the wrath of the almighty Crown if they grow too vocal with their criticism of the Status Quo.

Both faction will use the lower classes as pawns in their machinations, sometimes stirring protests or demonstrations by stoking political sentiment in the apolitical classes.

Though there have been many internal conflicts throughout the millennia in this isolated kingdom, the Immaculist ideology only sprung up in the past century- During the reign of the current Solar Sovereign, in fact. It is widely seen as a direct result of the Bellum Successionis, and many regard this precarious rivalry to be a sort of ongoing Cold Civil War that has endured since the coronation of the reigning queen.

Justice and Laws

The rule of law within Solunarian borders is maintained by two major forces: The Centurions of the Golden Legion and the furtive agents of the Silver Sentinels. The Centurions serve as the public face of the Solunarian constabulary, and the Silver Sentinels work behind-the-scenes to thwart potential revolutionary plots before they fully develop. Whereas the Centurions rely on brute force and overwhelming numbers, the Sentinels rely upon surveillance and incorporate arcane practices into their peacekeeping endeavors. It is not unusual for an unruly crowd to be pacified by practitioners of Mesmer or Masquerade, and the Crown grants great autonomy to the Sentinels in their sundry exploits. In addition to suppressing revolts, they also propagandize the general public by influencing the education system and by fostering faith in the Crown through magical means.

Desert Justice

The Solunarian Criminal Justice System is maintained by The Collegium Magistratuum, which is overseen by The House of Naxos-Aværys. The Princeps Praetor is the highest judge in the land and supervises the lower courts, which may consist of Human or Re’hyaen magisters who preside over criminal and civil proceedings. Though most trials are open to the public, the notion of a jury is anathema in Solunarium. A magister is considered Lord of the Court and their decisions are final, unless overturned by a higher ranking magister or the Crown.

Like many elements of Solunarian society, the justice system is tied into the official state religion. In The Mandatum Magnum, Aværys explained:

“The common concept of justice is a cold, lifeless thing whilst the hot, beating heart of revenge is a galvanizing force of nature.”

As such, the state itself does not carry out the sentencing for capital crimes. When someone is convicted of a capital offense, the victim, or their next-of-kin in instances where the victim is dead or incapacitated, is granted the Lex Agni or “Law of the Lamb”. The Lex Agni puts the convicted at the complete mercy of the aggrieved to be used as they see fit, whether that means enslavement, death or a simple slap on the wrist. Most often the aggrieved will elect to render their charge into blood sacrifice to the deity of their choosing (Invariably Aværys or Varvara). Often this results in their being hurled into the maw of Mount Sorokyn or being torn apart by the wyrms in the Thalamum Draconum. It is understood that, if the magma or the dragons consume the accused, then he or she is truly guilty. Since Aværys emerged unscathed, and in fact improved, from the fiery pit, it is believed that Sorokyn and the wyrms will reject the blood of the innocent. Unfortunately for Solunarian convicts, neither the volcano nor the dragons have since rejected an offering in recorded history.

In addition to the criminal justice system, there are ways to seek recompense for lesser slights which are not technically criminal in nature (for example failing to use the proper form of address in a formal setting or outright insults). When umbrage demands answer, an individual may challenge the offending party to a formalized duel. Duels can either be to first blood or to the death, and are always overseen by an impartial observer from the Collegium Magistratuum.

Solunarian Armed Forces

Further information, such as specific rankings in the branches of the armed forces, is available in the codex.

Despite its remoteness and the paucity of external threats, Solunarium maintains a large and well-funded military with several branches. The culture makes no real distinction between military and constabulary forces and, since the latter is more practically useful, most active Solunarian soldiers are quartered in the capital.

The Aværyan Guard

Headquartered in the two royal palaces, the Aværyan Guard is composed entirely of soldiers claiming descent from the founding twins. They may be fully or half-elven, but all bear Varværyn blood. This elite force serves as the private guard to the royal family. Though membership to this order is a great honor it comes not without sacrifice, as all members of the guard agree to be sterilized to ratify their fealty to the ruling dynasty and to formally acknowledge their abstention from the line of succession. They are under the direct command of the sovereign, but an Eques Militis (or ‘Knight Commander’) is selected from amongst their ranks. All other soldiers of the Aværyan Guard hold the equal rank of Eques Reverens (or ‘Knight Reverent’).

The Golden Legion

The main branch of the Solunarian military is the Golden Legion, which is headquartered in the Aurecine District of the Luxium, but has bases of operation spread across the kingdom. The Golden Legion is the face of Solunarian might, and the most likely to be seen on patrol policing the streets of the cities or marching in ceremonial triumphs. They are known for donning steel armor that has been painted gold to evoke the cherished sun. The Golden Legion boasts three sub-branches:

The Imperialis Vigilia

This branch of the Solunarian military serves as the internal constabulary as well as the kingdom’s primary infantry. It is the largest and most widespread branch in part due to a compulsory conscription lottery, which bolsters the Vigilia with thousands of new troops every few years. In addition to its human and elven members, this branch of the military employs monsters which have been domesticated through use of the Mesmer Rune to strike terror into the hearts of all who stand athwart the Crown. The Legatus Aureus is the head of the Imperialis Vigilia, answering directly to the Princeps Legatus.

The Vastian Guard

Which serves as de facto navy and controls the ports of trade and travel. The Vastian Guard is the smallest of the branches, relying upon a fleet of small, but sleek ships which fare better on the river than at sea. They are under the direct command of a Legatus Vastianus, who answers directly to the Princeps Legatus.

The Praeventores

Members of this branch serve as expeditionary forces in the rare event of a foreign war. Before The Rending, this branch was bolstered by the service of many wyrms, but they disappeared into the mountains after the fall of Aværys, leaving their lesser cousin, the Serpentes Caelo (more commonly known as the ‘Wyvern’), as the primary source of flight for Solunarian soldiers. Because of the remoteness of Solunarium, the Praeventores rely upon these wild Wyverns, which are tamed to be mounts by Master Mesmer practitioners, to conduct their scouts abroad of the Atraxian Desert. Wyvern-riders survey foreign climes and function as the kingdom’s de facto air force.

The Silver Sentinels

Headquartered in the Argentine District of the Umbrium, The Silver Sentinels focus upon more shadowy forms of control than their golden counterparts. They are gatherers of intelligence and subduers of unrest. It is the Silver Sentinels who infiltrate dissenting organizations and tear them apart from within. They are, perhaps, the most feared agency in the Solunarian government and wield a great deal of autonomy at the pleasure of the Sovereign in carrying out their goals. The Silver Sentinels actively recruit powerful mages and are liberal in their use of the arcane arts to further their interests. Though they are supervised by the House of Phaedryn-Aværys, there are prominent members from even the lowest castes in Solunarium. It is one of the few arenas in which the lowest born of Solunarians might ply great power in the kingdom.

In addition to their work on the Homefront, the Silver Sentinels are deeply involved with the diplomatic wing of the government with agents in Solunarian embassies across Ransera- often counting the ambassadors themselves among their ranks.

Culture

Although much of the culture of Solunarian society derived from the elven origins of the Re’hyaen Faith, a great deal of Vastian influence has been adopted. The royal house assimilated the patrilineal naming conventions of the Vastii, though they did not go as far as to grant favor to males in their line of succession as did their Vastian forebears. The Vastian tongue is also particularly prominent, with even the name “Solunarium being a Vastian translation of an old Vallenori term found in the Re’hyaen Book of Blood. Early on, Aværys took to using the Vastian language in official court documents and his public addresses, only speaking Vallenor when in the company of other elves. This tradition continues today, though Common is also widely spoken and is taught in public learning institutions, which are available to children of all castes.

Both the early Re’hyaen refugees who first came to Vastium and their human hosts put similar weight on celestial divinity. Though they used different terminology, both cultures worshiped the Sun and moons and had remarkably similar myths, with a few marked differences (such as the Elven Supremacist themes in the Re’hyaen Faith and the concept of a messiah that existed in Vastian scripture but not Re’hyaen). Aværys would eventually exploit the messianic prophecies of the Vastii to entrench his own claim on sovereignty and they were later absorbed into the Varværyn church that grew to supplant Re’hyaenism.

Education is taken very seriously in Solunarium and is provided gratis to members of any caste, though all public schools’ curricula are heavily slanted toward a Varværyn perspective. Each subject from mathematics to literature to history to arcane arts and practical sciences is infused with pro-Varværyn propaganda that reinforces fealty to The Unbroken Line. All Solunarian schools teach written and spoken Common as well as Vastian, with the Elven schools also placing emphasis on knowledge of Vallenor.

For reasons unknown, the descendents of the original Re’hyaen elves almost invariably present as full-blooded representatives of the Hytori or Siltori races. Four in five are born Dryadalis Aureum with all the characteristics and racial abilities of a purebred Hytori, and one in five are born Dryadalis Argentum resembling pure Siltori. On exceedingly rare occasions, a child is born Dryadalis Platinum with blended features and is considered to be blessed- a prelude to The Coming Race: The Deiori. Of the five times in recorded history that a Platinum Elf was born into the royal family, the conclave has named the proto-Deiori Sovereign on four of those occasions The fifth such occasion led to a civil war known as the Bellum Successionis. Solar Sovereign Amalya I Imperatrix went as far as to abdicate to free the throne up for her hallowed nephew, who would adopt the regnal name Aværys VI.

Another quirk of the dynasty is that, in spite of their consistent, institutionalized incest, there has never been a birth defect amongst the progeny of the Aværyan line.

Half-elves are not a rarity in Solunarium, but it is rare for them to be the product of marriage unions. For an Elf to marry outside their race is to give up their status and descend to the caste of their non-Elven spouse, whether that be Patrician, Peregrine or anything between.

Re’hyaen Elves

Thousands of years ago, Re’hyaen Elves started out in Sol’Valen as a religious cult which began shortly after the creation of the Siltori and Dratori. Re’hyaens believed that the reunification of Hytori and Siltori would create a new and idealized form of Elf, referred to in scripture as “The Coming Race”. Although they have yet to manifest this evolution, the descendants of the Re’hyaen elves consider themselves to be an entirely separate (and sacred) breed contrasting from their purebred Hytori and Siltori counterparts. The ethnoreligious Re’hyaen race that survives unto today has a few distinctions from the more widespread subspecies of Elves. Firstly, as mentioned previously, they very rarely carry features of both parent races. The other distinction is that they are capable of communing with their immediate offspring or parents across great distances through visual and auditory projection. This ability works between the generation immediately prior and the generation immediately subsequent. Grandparents cannot commune with grandchildren, nor aunts to nephews or anything of the like.

The Modern Vastii

The vast majority of the human population in Solunarium descends from the original settlers of the Vastii tribe. After many millennia in the remoteness of the Atraxian Desert, the Vastii have distinguished themselves as a unique ethnicity amongst the humans of Ransera. With complexions ranging between olive and onyx and dark hair ranging between wavy and curly, the Vastii have adapted well to their arid surroundings. In addition to their ability to withstand high levels of heat for longer than most humans, they are also able to survive without water for a full week before giving in to dehydration. However, not all of their attributes are beneficial, as all scions of the tribe are bound by an ancient divine curse that renders them obedient to the royal House of Sol’Aværys. Though they are incapable of directly defying any member of the Sol’Avaerys Dynasty, there have been many creative instances of defiance through verbal technicalities.

The Solunarian Caste System

Varværyn Regalis - Pure-blooded direct descendants of Aværys & Varvara, members of The Unbroken Line. All legitimate scions of the cadet branches of House Sol’Aværys (with the exception of House Phædryn-Sol'Aværys) are members of this ruling caste, which includes the sovereign and five of the six members of the Regium Concilium.

Aværyan - Direct descendants of the line whose lineage has mixed with ancestors outside the Varværyn dynasty. Aværyans may be half-elves and still retain the same respect as their full-elven counterparts, but at least one parent must be a direct Varværyn descendent to be included in this caste. They are considered touched by the divine, and often hold positions of high esteem in Solunarian society. Perhaps most notable is The House of Phædryn-Sol'Aværys, which is considered a branch of the royal family in spite of 'impure' blood and The Aværyan Guard- the sovereign’s personal bodyguards, all of whom are members of this hallowed caste. Most Aværyans outside of House Phædryn-Sol'Aværys are baseborn, but as we will explore below in the section on Solunarian marriage customs, bastardy does not carry the same connotations in Varværo-Vastian culture as it does elsewhere in Ransera.

Populus Ex Re’ha - Elven descendants of the original Re’hyaen refugees who have one quarter or less relation to the Unbroken Line. The Populus Ex Re’ha are regarded as higher-tier nobles who stand above the human aristocracy in the Solunarian hierarchy. The head of each Ex Re’ha family is afforded a seat in the Greater House of the Solunarian Senate, which advises the Crown on matters legislative.

Populus Patricius - Human nobles descended from Vastii who participated in the Caelian culling a the behest of Aværys. They are highly esteemed in Solunarian society and are heavily involved in the governance of the kingdom. The head of each patrician family is honored with a seat in the Lesser House of the Solunarian Senate, which advises the Crown on matters legislative.

Populus Equestris - Prominent landowning families of the merchant class who are often wealthier than their Patrician neighbors, but lack their inherited prestige. The Solunarian economy relies heavily upon the Equestrians, many of whom are involved in international trade via the port at Tertium.

Populus Plebeia - The human peasant class, mostly descended from the original Vastii. Farmers, miners and other laborers are members of this overwhelmingly human caste.

Populus Peregrini - The non-human, non-elven population. The Peregrini represent relatively recent transplants to Solunarium, most of whom arrived well after the Epoch of Aværys. Although some of these families have inhabited the kingdom for generations, they are still regarded as outsiders in society (albeit to varying degrees). Solunarium is largely tolerant, at times even welcoming, to other races with the notable exception of Dratori and Orkhan. With the ingrained prejudice the Re’hyaens brought regarding Dratori and the history of Orkhan subjugation faced by early Vastii, it is not uncommon for these races to experience overt prejudice on the streets of Solunarium.

Populus Servi - Slavery is legal and quite common within Solunarian borders. The typical slave is either a criminal or the relative of a criminal who was bound to servitude by a decision of the Collegium Magistratuum. People born into any caste or any race may end up as slaves, and the severity of Solunarian justice means that sometimes their families will be dragged down with them- Even for generations after the death of the convicted offender.

Decorum

Further information, such as specific forms of address, is available in the codex.

In a culture as ancient and steeped in tradition as Solunarium, decorum is sacrosanct- especially in the presence of royalty. There are standard practices codified in the time of Aværys that are still observed to this day. There are specific honorific forms of address that are observed for each royal and noble rank. In all instances it is considered preferable not to refer to titled Solunarians by simple pronouns without applying their title. For instance “That belongs to him” would be considered indelicate, while “That belongs to His Lordship” would be deemed appropriate.

Solunarian Marriage Customs

The institution of marriage is of pivotal importance in the ancient culture of Solunarium, but many of the related customs differ significantly from those found elsewhere in the world due to the rigidity of its hierarchical structure. As Church and State are not distinct entities in Solunarium, the institution of marriage falls under the purview of both, but it is the Ministerium Divinitatis that officially registers wedded couples. The Crown strongly encourages marriage and the begetting of new generations of Solunarians, and so marriage comes with many privileges including reduced tithes and housing subsidies that increase with the size of the family. Marriage between Runebearers is particularly strongly encouraged and may, in some cases, afford exemption from tithes and even a seasonal stipend from the coffers of the Crown.

Hierarchical Dynamics: In the most basic sense, marriage in Solunarium is about procreation toward a stronger race. To marry within one's own caste signals a commitment to strengthen the realm by having offspring with a socially appropriate partner. For the royals of the Unbroken Line wedding a ‘socially appropriate partner’, of course, means marrying a close blood relative, such as a sibling or cousin. Naturally, these are rarely the romantic matches they might prefer, but they are the fulfillment of an ancient tradition and, in their minds, a pivotal duty. Many marriages in the upper echelons of Solunarian society are arranged, and few take matters of insignificance like love into consideration. Unsurprisingly, to marry below one’s station is a huge taboo and, in such couplings, the higher-caste partner must renounce their position and assume that of their lower-caste spouse. Though it has never happened in recorded history, this could be as dramatic as a member of the royal family marrying a foreigner (Peregrinus) or a slave (Servus) and taking on that position in society.

Rites and Rituals: For a marriage in any caste to be recognised by the Crown, the wedding must be performed under the auspices of the Varværyn Faith. Although elements of the nuptial rites are common across all castes, the details differ greatly. Obviously, a royal wedding is a far grander affair with more ostentation, pomp and circumstance than a merchant wedding, but the commitment to the betterment of the realm is the same across all classes.

Sex in Marriage: Although Solunarium only recognises one-to-one marriages between partners of the opposite sex, the commitment does not presuppose monogamy. For as strict and plentiful its laws are, Solunarium does not recognise adultery as a criminal offence. Sex is seen as a simple, natural impulse, and consenting partners may choose their own arrangements for how best to relate it to their marriages. Some will choose to be monogamous, while some married couples will have completely separate harems of concubines dwelling under the same roof, or others still will share a pool of lovers. Consenting adults are able to express their sexuality as they see fit and, in the eyes of Crown and Country, this has very little to do with marriage, as long as the offspring that arise from extramarital affairs with members of lower castes observe their appropriate lot in the hierarchy.

Issue: Solunarian children take the name (or nomen) of the highest ranking parent, irrespective of gender. For instance, Phocion Phaedryn-Sol’Aværys (Vastian nomenclature: Corvus Phædryn-Sol’Aværys Phocion) is the son of Sylvain Val’Evelard and Cithæra Phædryn-Sol’Aværys. As his mother is the Materfamiliar of Gens Phædryn-Sol’Aværys, he takes the nomen of his mother.

Bastardy: A Solunarian marriage does not preclude either spouse from having children with other partners who may not be deemed appropriate to their caste for marriage. Bastardy does not have the same negative connotations in Solunarium as it does elsewhere in the realm. Extramarital children are extremely common, and bear no tacit stain of disrepute for the situation of their birth. In Solunarium the greater scandal by far would be the rare higher caste individual who forsakes their status to marry someone beneath their station. The offspring of a such a union, although born within wedlock, would carry more of a social burden than the common bastard. Baseborn children will, in most cases, be accepted into the caste of their lesser tier parent. The exception lies in cases where the higher tier parent is a direct descendent of Deus Aværys, in which case the offspring are de facto members of the Aværyan Caste. Bastards born of the same caste or higher than a given parent may be adopted into legitimacy, as long as both spouses agree to the arrangement. In the event of one spouse’s death before legitimate heirs are begotten, their marriage is considered dissolved and bastards of equal or higher caste to the deceased will be considered posthumously adopted and assume the rank of their fallen parent. This is a means of sustaining the existence of families that might otherwise have died out over the years.

Succession & Inheritance: In Solunarian society, the highest ranking member of a given family (The Pater or Materfamilias) may will their fortunes to anyone they choose- Legitimate children, bastards, neighbors, charities, etc. When it comes to positions of rank that pertain to a particular caste, such as becoming head of a family or assuming a senate seat, they are restricted to members of their own Gens (family) and caste. This means that the Paterfamilias of Gens Vlahos-Sol’Aværys may will his position as Head of House to any immediate blood relative of his own caste or higher. He may choose to be succeeded by any of his legitimate children irrespective of birth order, or any of his siblings of the same caste and gens, or even his own bastard if the child was born of a mother of his caste or higher. In the latter instance, the child would have typically been adopted into legitimacy prior to the death of the parent, but it is not unheard of that a child was adopted and given a notable rank posthumous to the parent they succeeded. If a ranking Solunarian dies without writing a will or stating their intentions for succession and inheritance prior to their demise, the entire estate will be handed to the oldest legitimate child or surviving sibling. Lacking those, a bastard of equal rank may be de facto adopted and legitimised to assume the roles of their deceased parent.

Mixed Marriages: For reasons stated above pertaining to the racial elements inherent to Varværyn dogma, mixed marriages in the upper echelons are unusual. For a Re’hyaean Elf to marry a human is to renounce their privilege as a member of the chosen people, and to set back their people in the goal of bringing about the coming Platinum Race of Deiori. Mixed marriages are more common in the lower tiers of society, where the distinction between castes is subtler. Although Plebeians are technically of a higher caste than Peregrini, their day to day lives can be very similar, and so it is not unusual for them to intermix and for a Plebeian to renounce their status to become a Peregrinus. More often than not, however, they will simply live in partnered relationships that look very much like marriages but without the complications that come along with official government recognition.

Foreign Marriages: While the Solunarian Crown does not officially acknowledge the validity of weddings performed outside the Varværyn Faith, spouses of foreign delegates will be treated as married partners in a social setting. If a couple wedded under another faith wishes to attain Solunarian citizenship they will need to remarry in the Faith to enjoy the privileges accorded married couples in the culture.

Arts and Leisure

Solunarium has a rich and diverse entertainment culture that features everything from grand opera to gritty gladiatorial bouts. This remote desert culture is fascinated by what it considers exotic, and is passing fond of novelty, so even during their most isolationist periods, foreign artists were often granted special dispensation to perform in Solunarium. Public spectacles are held every season throughout the realm to entertain and awe the masses across all castes, though some diversions are, of course, limited to certain strata in the society.

Sports - Solunarium boasts an active, athletic culture with activities that include wrestling, rowing, team sports and equestrian events, but nothing entertains a Solunarian crowd so much as a blood sport. In some of the poorer districts, entrepreneurial individuals will organise prize fights in back alleys or open lots, but the scale grows much grander in the ritzier parts of the realm. Gladiatorial arenas may be found throughout nearly every district, and members of all classes and castes can be found even at the loftiest of bouts- Albeit not all spectating from the same vantage. At the The Fortis Lacerta Arena, the biggest gladiatorial stadium in Solunarium, royals are accorded a special, centrally situated box from which to view the fights, whilst Solunarium’s poorest free citizens are relegated to the nosebleeds far above. Many gladiators are slaves- some subjects of the Lex Agni, others career fighters- but some free citizens choose to battle for gold and glory. Gladiators may vie against each other- sometimes with bare hands, sometimes with practical weapons and sometimes with runic magic- or they may vie against monsters collected from all over the world. The only collection of exotic creatures in Solunarium that is more diverse is the Sovereign’s own royal menagerie at the Palatium Furiarum. Bloodsports are a huge industry in the realm and, while they are popular, the less violent sports rarely draw crowds beyond people who personally know the participants. They are merely considered to be too low-stakes for Solunarian tastes.

Fine Arts - Visual art, music, theatre and dance are all well represented in Solunarium. The more cultivated castes enjoy Crown-sponsored theatrical spectacles that incorporate magical and practical effects to tell stories from their history or distant realms, and the lower classes enjoy more intimate presentations performed by wandering troups or standing repertory houses. There are various museums throughout the capital and Tertium, which are overseen by the Ministerium Culturae. The largest and most ostentatious state-sponsored collection is found at the Conquestum Museum, which houses thousands of artifacts that were taken as spoils during Deus Aværys’ wars of conquest prior to the Rending. Other historically-oriented museums, include the Museum Draconum, the Museum Sacrum and the Museum Templus Ignotus, which is found in the Umbrium. Additionally, the Princeps Camerarius presides over many art museums and tends to the upkeep of outdoor installations across the kingdom- Seeing to the construction and maintenance of the many sculptures and statues of the realm, some of which have been standing for millennia, as new ones crop up with relative regularity.

Underground Arts - It has been said that “High camp is low culture”, and this notion is thoroughly explored in the cabaret scene of the Umbrium- The Solunarian capital’s undercity. It is widely known in the capital, that one looks to the Luxium for stunning visual spectacles, but one must delve beneath the sands to the Umbrium for the best music. The cavernous depths offer naturally favourable acoustics, and the architecture was constructed in such a way as to create enough baffling to keep the resonance somewhat contained, as not to create a chaotic, cacophonous bleed of sundry sounds. In great, chasmal chambers or intimate lounges, Solunarium’s finest musicians haunt the halls of the Umbrium and ply their talents for coin and praise.

Personal Pleasures - Recreational drugs and prostitution are both legal in Solunarium. Liberty of choice in recreation, at least for free citizens, is nearly sacrosanct in the kingdom, and so the Crown and Senate stand aloof from regulating such matters. This comes, of course, with caveats. Though drugs are legal, their influence does not mitigate one's liability in committing actual crimes. If someone does accidental injury to another citizen or their property while under the influence, they are subject to the same, severe repercussions as one who committed such acts willfully and in fullness of mind. Despite a few independent entrepreneurs, most prostitution in Solunarium is performed by members of the slave caste. The magnates of the industry try to buy up the most beautiful and pliable of the slaves, and provide them with housing, square meals and space to ply the trade. Many of the finer Solunarian brothels are clean, spacious, beautiful villas, and those employed there are among the most comfortable members of their caste. Many of the servi who labour in the mines or serve at the beck and call of minor lords, covet the comforts of the brothel slaves.

Religion

In the present day, the prevailing and only officially recognized faith in the kingdom is Varværynism- an offshoot of the Re’hyaen religion, which regards Aværys and Varvara as messianic figures who sanctified the realm of Solunarium to aggrandize the oppressed and grant them the right of retribution. The Divine Twins supplant the roles Ysadrin and Nerix held in Re’hyaenism, and any who bear their blood are regarded as sacrosanct. It is believed that they will, one day, return to Solunarium to usher in the dawn of a new era and herald the arrival of The Coming Race.

In classical antiquity, the Varværyn Faith required less interpretation than it does in the present day. The reason for this being, that its deities were present, personal forces actively ruling and setting policy as they went. With both Deus Aværys and Domina Varvara more focused upon expanding their borders than codifying their expectations for posterity, the devout of Solunarium needed to scramble after The Rending to collect their quotations into scripture. The resultant document, dubbed the Radiant Chronicle, has since been regarded as the Living Word of the Founders, although much of it was acquired through hearsay and left large gaps that have frequently been filled by whatever served the reigning regime of the day. It is worth noting that, although the Radiant Chronicle is much more referential of Aværys, most of its curators were sworn disciples of Varvara.

The present interpretation of The Radiant Chronicle favours the notion of ‘Sanguine Supremacy’. The reigning branches of House Sol’Aværys descend directly from the founding deities and brook no pollution of His bloodline through incestuous intermarriage between pure-blooded descendents of the sibling sovereigns. The tenet of Sanguine Supremacy encourages the faithful to treat the mortal heirs of Aværys and Varvara as if they were the gods themselves. These notions are reinforced throughout Solunarian society in myriad ways, such as magical manipulation of the royals’ appearances to emphasise divinity and Mesmer conditioning from an early age via the Solunarian education system.

Over the past century, an opposing interpretation has been on the rise, which suggests that the tenet of Sanguine Supremacy is, in fact, an insult to the Founders in suggesting that their blood is corruptible. Proponents of this interpretation believe that the blood of Aværys and Varvara is too potent to possibly brook impurity and that miscegenation between pureblooded scions of the Founders and unrelated individuals is a moot point- For the immaculate blood of the Founding twins would dominate any lesser lineage and purify the blood of the offspring.

The conflict between these two interpretations has become prevalent enough that each faction has claimed a mantle. Believers of the doctrine of Sanguine Supremacy are known as Sanguinists, while their opponents are called Immaculists.

Varværynism in Practice

While Varværynism is a rigid, fundamentalist religion, it is not without some leniency when it comes to how it is practised. There are three main branches, as well as several smaller cults of worship. There are several basic, universal tenets that are shared amongst all Varværyn Faithful:

The Coming Race - It is foretold that when Aværys returns He will reunify the Hytori and Siltori into a new, superior race of elf. Made whole but bereft of the blight of Dratori blood. This new race will be known as the Deiori or “Divine Elves”, children of the sun and moons.

Church & State - The Faith is an intrinsic part of Solunarian government and the Royal House relies on the reverence and fear it imbues in those who might otherwise dream of opposing the scions of two vengeful demi-deities who are aligned with man-eating wyrms.

Magic - Magical prowess is highly esteemed and is not widely regulated in Solunarium. The ability to manipulate aether is considered a divine gift, and those who wield such abilities are often sought after for roles in the the Ministerium Diplomatis or the Ministerium Divinitatis. Not only is magic widely accepted, it is also regularly employed by agents of the Crown to enforce fealty to the Sovereign’s authority.

The Cursus Platinus

The Platinum Path is by far the largest denomination of the Faith. Its devotees are scattered across all classes, races and castes in Solunarium, and it accounts for as much as 95 percent of the population’s style of worship.

Although religion is infused into nearly every aspect of Solunarian society, the vast majority of its citizens are not students of scripture. The ruling class does not expect nor even desire for the unwashed masses to have intimate knowledge of the intricacies of the religion that dominates them. By and large, the public relies upon priests to interpret the Holy Word for them and they pray to both Founders each day- The Waking Prayer is rendered to Deus Aværys and The Waning Prayer is rendered to Domina Varvara.

Those who are ambitious enough to explore Holy Scripture on their own, are afforded the Platinum editions of the Re’hyaen Book of Blood and The Radiant Chronicle, which are written in common Vastian and heavily edited to reflect the aspects of Varværynism that best suit the Crown- Unquestioning obedience to the sacred scions of the Founders and the primacy of their hallowed blood.

Most followers of the Cursus Platinus have a very curated understanding of their gods, associating them more with tides, celestial motion, justice and honour than with the darker elements of their domains. They see ‘Majesty’ and ‘Supremacy’ as virtuous, chivalrous aims and their shepherds foster this belief diligently.

The Platinum Path is the most casual of the denominations which, along with the influence of the Crown, surely accounts for its appeal and popularity.

The Cursus Aureus

The Golden Path is the second largest Varværyn denomination. Followers of this school of thought, devote themselves to Deus Aværys. They acknowledge and appreciate Varvara, but their souls are pledged to Aværys alone.

Those who pursue this path and are accepted into the ranks of its congregants, must truly comprehend and revere their chosen deity. The Golden Devout shirk the meagre, slanted excerpts of scripture offered in the Platinum Editions. Instead, they are entrusted with Scripturam Integram. This is the complete, unedited Word in the original Vallenor- an academic language in Solunarium, known only amongst the elite of the higher castes.

To follow the Cursus Aureus is to believe in Aværys’ interpretation of Majesty, and to share His Immortal Hunger for greatness. Many disciples of The Golden Path are in positions of power, and most of the pureblooded members of the royal family count themselves amongst the Golden Devout.

The Cursus Argentus

The Silver Path is the smallest of the major Varværyn denominations. Below it in number are only splinter cults, oft of dubious repute. Like the Cursus Aureus, this path is monotheistic placing emphasis on Domina Varvara, Mistress of Chains. Aværys is acknowledged and appreciated, as the partner and ally of their goddess, but their souls are enthralled to Her alone.

Like their Golden counterparts, these votaries of Silver are entrusted with the Scripturam Integram, and must fully comprehend and embody the Way of the Tethered, to be accepted into the ranks of the clergy. The congregants of this denomination believe that chaos must be reined in, and that the only acceptable form of Order is Varvara’s unforgiving brand of discipline.

To follow the Cursus Argentus is to believe in Varvara’s interpretation of Supremacy and to be willing to make lofty sacrifices to appease Her grim whims.

Links

Useful Links
Codex	The forum codex for Solunarium. Includes flora, fauna, and more specific details.
The Dynasty of Divinity	More information about Solunarian royalty.
Solunarian Naming Conventions	Solunarian naming conventions, for both elves and humans.
Location Maps	Maps of Solunarium.