(Notice: The first few chapters had the original picture inserts lost, but are being reconstructed at the moment. Some pictures may not make a return if I cannot find the right file, and even with reconstruction keep in mind the posts may not be exactly as originally displayed)
An Excerpt from The Rise of Kvatch: A Second Era Story by Imperial Chronicler Mercutio
When Potentante Savirien-Chorak was assassinated in 2E 430, along with the rest of his line, the Second Empire came crumbling down, and with it, much of the law and order that it had brought to Tamriel. While some already questioned the legitimacy of the Empire after the assassination of Emperor Reman III, there is no question that to a large degree the various peoples of Tamriel had at least been kept in some form of stability during the Akaviri reign. Now the former lands of the Empire descended into warlordism the likes of which had not been seen for nearly a millennium.
One of the less fortunate states to emerge in the Chaos was the Kingdom of Kvatch. Kvatch had a lot of things going for it, but also a lot of things going against it. It was located along a main trade route from the Imperial City on Lake Rumare to the Gold Coast. There was not as much trade now as before, of course, but it was still something to consider. In comparison to its neighbors, Kvatch was on par territoriality. Anvil to the West was of similar size. It was the major port in the region, though Kvatch had access to river ports. Anvil had the further hindered of having a strong warlord presence challenging the "legitimate" King. Skingrad to the East was about twice Kvatch's size, but similarly had a warlord problem. Not to say that there were not small groups of bandits in the Northern hills waiting to challenge Kvatch either, but much less so than either of these two neighbors. Of course, further North were the Colovian Estates, one of the major powers vying for Cyrodiil, along with Nibenay, both of which were much larger, but they had bigger problems to worry about.
Unfortunately, in the first two decades after the fall, Kvatch had more than its fair share of bad luck, to the point that many were wondering if some divine curse had been placed on the small Kingdom. First were the border skirmishes. Nothing bad really, at first, but the King was unable to muster enough troops to push back the bandits or retaliate against raiding parties. Then, in 2E 440 Skingrad made a bold grab and took Fort Istirus. The holding wasn't a major one to Kvatch's integrity, but it beyond the massive prestige and morale loss, this gave Skingrad ready access to the see by way of river, while at the same time cutting down on Kvatch's overall importance to trade.
Next came blights upon the land. Not just the standard fare, but for a time beasts of a more magical variety seemed to have it out for Kvatch specifically. The whole crisis came to a head in 2E 442, when a pack of vampires stalked and killed the King and remaining royal line, seemingly only out of sport. The Kingdom in ruins, a council of minor nobles and more esteemed citizen came together in an attempt to solve the crisis.
There, one man distinguished himself as a natural leader, Ioannes Atticus, now referred to as the Uncrowned King. Atticus was a recent arrival from the East, not quite a wandering bard, but more of a warrior-bureaucrat for hire, now that Empire had collapsed. He had settled in Kvatch in 2E 432, married, and started a life as something of a businessman. During an intense week full of negotiation, intrigue, planning, and a lot of soul searching for the people, the council was ready to crown their next king. However, fate had one more cruel trick in store...
That winter was particularly harsh, and coronation had been set for the first of the new year. Atticus was in his early 50s, and while life expectancy was as high then as it is now, it is of course no unheard of for one to succumb to the cold at such an age. Atticus died unexpectedly in his sleep a little over two weeks before the new year.
The council and the people at large nearly panicked. By now, despite it being winter, Anvil and Skingrad were looking to intervene, militarily if need be. They needed stability, and fast. Thankfully, they did have one easy way out. Though uncrowned, Atticus left a single child, an eight year old also named Ioannes, and royal authority could be invested in him. The boy's mother had died a few years earlier, mauled by a bear while gathering herbal ingredients, and so it was up to others to now care for this boy anyway, or leave him to his fate.
Of course, there were calls for the council to reconvene and select a new king, but the very real concern about legitimacy was now coming into play. A body that neither had no inherent authority continuing from the old king, the old government, or the people was a very shaky thing to be selecting new kings, even more so in that political climate. It is amazing that they even got away with it the first time. If they installed the younger Ioannes on the throne, however, the move could be played off as simply the legitimate continuation. Kings died, it was a fact of life, and whatever reasons outsiders might try and concoct to further reduce Kvatch, bad luck was a particularly poor excuse.
Thusly, the young boy became King Ioannes I of Kvatch, first of the Atticus Dynasty. His rule would be under regency until the new year of 2E 450. He protested that his actual 16th birthday was sometime in First Seed, but those with power were more concerned with a smooth transition. Ironically, in time, most of them would die before Ioannes came of age, leaving the young ruler with mostly their children as advisers by the time he assumed real power. Though still a good fifteen years his senior in most cases, the fates were surely smiling upon him, as this new cohort was much more willing to allow for him to legitimately rule, rather than be a figurehead. As time would soon prove, Ioannes I was not only the first of a new line, but very definitely one of the best rulers in all of Tamriel.
---------------
Private Dining Hall, Castle Kvatch
3:31 PM, 1 Morning Star, 2E 450
The "Royal Advisory Council" as they were now apparently being called were seated around a long banquet table, about half full of food. Most of them looked bored, tired, or even outright annoyed. Today was the first day of King Ioannes' rule without a regent, and the boy was wasting no time in meddling with how things were supposed to work. There had been a big ceremony, not only for the King, but celebrating the New Life Festival as was tradition. There had been food and drink, and the grand mid-day meal.... and now the King insisted on calling a meeting about the state of affairs of the realm. Well within his power, but very very poorly timed. No doubt there would not be a repeat of this next year, and not because it was such a faux pas. Indeed, Ioannes knew very well this wasn't the norm, he simply didn't care. He had to exert his authority, to show the rest he really was in charge. Ioannes had a very even temperament, a bit soft actually, but when he made a decision, he was going to want it carried out, no questions asked. This did mean, though, that while he was very insistent about this meeting, he looked the other way at his councilors signs of disdain, allowing for them to express themselves more freely as to avoid clamping down too hard.
"Still awake Molvirian? Nodding off I see?" The King had been allowing for a brief pause while refills were brought, but now cut again. His town was harsh, but then his face cracked into a smile. "Don't worry. I think we've all covered what needs to be covered. I do understand what today is, yes, and won't keep you gathered much longer." In any other court in Cyrodiil, or even all of Tamriel, this conduct would be scandalous, but not here. Or at least if it was, for now it's what they all knew was going to be the norm, because there were no better alternatives. "Let's just recap the overall agenda for this year, please, Baron, if you would start."
"Yes, very well. The issue I brought up first and foremost has apparently been taken care of..." Baron Tavian was a stiff and proper by nature, but had quickly learned he could not force his mannerisms onto the young King. He had been Ioannes mentor and regent, and as such was very much used to this behavior, and to Ioannes' vocabulary, which could sometimes go over the heads of some of the lesser members of the court. No, that was not what had him slightly disheveled right now. It was the fact that Ioannes had apparently gone and found himself a bride, all by himself, by way of pen pal. And the marriage was to be next week, no less! "With that taken care of, I shall now turn the full focus of my efforts towards solving the bandit problem. Varondo is a minor camp, best suited for outright seizure, so we shall leave that to the good Count Molvirian. The Linchal group is more entrenched, however, and their area of control extends into the de jure realm of Anvil. I will start work at once securing the... necessary documents to ensure that our eventual clearing of that group gains us the full extent of the occupied land..." A few slight pauses were placed in. Tavian, while accepting that they would need to play a little dirty to survive in the harsh post-Empire landscape, still felt the need to use metaphor to hide the fact, even among his co-conspirators. He nodded that he was done, and the King looked to Count Molvirian to go next, as it was a natural transition.
"I can marshal our forces in about one month. Sun's Dawn is an early start, but hopefully we can catch them off guard. They won't be expecting a major campaign that early. Also it will show our neighbors that you, our new King, are serious, and not to be trifled with!" Molvirian was all enthusiasm. Rough enthusiasm. Fitting, for a military man. Ioannes nodded at Steward Strillian next.
"I will begin searching the wilds. Local affairs are going well enough as it is. Now is as good a time as any to begin cataloging the various Elven ruins, and the old forts from the invasion." Brief, but to the point. Neighboring Valenwood so closely, it could be a bit of a sore point, as the original owners of some of those ruins were literally right there, across the river. Not like any were HERE, in the meeting, but still, the less said the better.
Next was the King's eyes and ears, a young woman he didn't particularly care for, but respected for her talents nonetheless, Galeria. "I will stay close to your side, looking for potential plots on your life. Our neighbors are just looking for any excuse to invade, we know, and once some of our... other plans get underway, no doubt they will redouble efforts." Unlike Tavian, Galeria's pause had more to do with thinly covered sarcasm than any dubious morals. Indeed, to be a spy, one needed to sometimes cast off all morals. Instead this sprung from her earlier statements, to the effect that they might all be fools for having such ambition. She wasn't necessarily content with the lot they'd been handed, but she was definitely one for caution. Caution expressed through sarcasm...
Ioannes looked at Mayor Zedrick intently, knowing the highly religious man would have trouble containing himself. "I will, for the moment, continue about my duties here. We will leave our small problem to Count Albec." Perhaps taking a cue from Galeria, Zedrick's words had a twinge of sarcasm too. He was referring to a cult that was forming in Hackdirt. The King had not called it a small problem. Far from it, he was quite concerned. However, right now he simply didn't have the authority to step in for his lords and take control of the situation. Count Albec was quite loyal, though Ioannes did not care for him, but even still, there were some limits to how fast they should move. Ironically, most of the rest of the council agreed with Ioannes more because he was moving fast diplomatically and militarily than anything else.
(The Religious Problem)
High priest Anton simply raised his eyebrows after Zedrick finished and quickly added on. "As will I, though with an eye towards seeing what I can do for the atmosphere around here." No one really grasped what he was saying, but Anton was a weird one. He wasn't just a mage, but also an avid interior decorator, and had a tendency to go on and on about how Kvatch lacked "proper culture", whatever that meant. As long as he was doing his job, and not hindering others, most were content to let him have at it, whatever he was trying to do.
(Councilor Assignments)
"Excellent. Sounds good to me. I think we can all take the rest of the day off now. Take two, if you wish. Though Tavian... I'll need to see you tomorrow, bright and early. We need to work on the arrangements." Ioannes could be subdued, quiet, or formal when he wanted to, but today wasn't one of those days. Even more so when the absolutely elation seeped through in his voice as the prospect of his wedding, as unconventional as it was. He was still a teenager at heart, even if it had to go through his unusual upbringing to show.
"Yes, your highness. I expected as such." With that, the meeting was over, and Kvatch was set on a course that would affect all of Tamriel.
Prologue
Troubling Times
An Excerpt from The Rise of Kvatch: A Second Era Story by Imperial Chronicler Mercutio
When Potentante Savirien-Chorak was assassinated in 2E 430, along with the rest of his line, the Second Empire came crumbling down, and with it, much of the law and order that it had brought to Tamriel. While some already questioned the legitimacy of the Empire after the assassination of Emperor Reman III, there is no question that to a large degree the various peoples of Tamriel had at least been kept in some form of stability during the Akaviri reign. Now the former lands of the Empire descended into warlordism the likes of which had not been seen for nearly a millennium.
One of the less fortunate states to emerge in the Chaos was the Kingdom of Kvatch. Kvatch had a lot of things going for it, but also a lot of things going against it. It was located along a main trade route from the Imperial City on Lake Rumare to the Gold Coast. There was not as much trade now as before, of course, but it was still something to consider. In comparison to its neighbors, Kvatch was on par territoriality. Anvil to the West was of similar size. It was the major port in the region, though Kvatch had access to river ports. Anvil had the further hindered of having a strong warlord presence challenging the "legitimate" King. Skingrad to the East was about twice Kvatch's size, but similarly had a warlord problem. Not to say that there were not small groups of bandits in the Northern hills waiting to challenge Kvatch either, but much less so than either of these two neighbors. Of course, further North were the Colovian Estates, one of the major powers vying for Cyrodiil, along with Nibenay, both of which were much larger, but they had bigger problems to worry about.
Unfortunately, in the first two decades after the fall, Kvatch had more than its fair share of bad luck, to the point that many were wondering if some divine curse had been placed on the small Kingdom. First were the border skirmishes. Nothing bad really, at first, but the King was unable to muster enough troops to push back the bandits or retaliate against raiding parties. Then, in 2E 440 Skingrad made a bold grab and took Fort Istirus. The holding wasn't a major one to Kvatch's integrity, but it beyond the massive prestige and morale loss, this gave Skingrad ready access to the see by way of river, while at the same time cutting down on Kvatch's overall importance to trade.
Next came blights upon the land. Not just the standard fare, but for a time beasts of a more magical variety seemed to have it out for Kvatch specifically. The whole crisis came to a head in 2E 442, when a pack of vampires stalked and killed the King and remaining royal line, seemingly only out of sport. The Kingdom in ruins, a council of minor nobles and more esteemed citizen came together in an attempt to solve the crisis.
There, one man distinguished himself as a natural leader, Ioannes Atticus, now referred to as the Uncrowned King. Atticus was a recent arrival from the East, not quite a wandering bard, but more of a warrior-bureaucrat for hire, now that Empire had collapsed. He had settled in Kvatch in 2E 432, married, and started a life as something of a businessman. During an intense week full of negotiation, intrigue, planning, and a lot of soul searching for the people, the council was ready to crown their next king. However, fate had one more cruel trick in store...
That winter was particularly harsh, and coronation had been set for the first of the new year. Atticus was in his early 50s, and while life expectancy was as high then as it is now, it is of course no unheard of for one to succumb to the cold at such an age. Atticus died unexpectedly in his sleep a little over two weeks before the new year.
The council and the people at large nearly panicked. By now, despite it being winter, Anvil and Skingrad were looking to intervene, militarily if need be. They needed stability, and fast. Thankfully, they did have one easy way out. Though uncrowned, Atticus left a single child, an eight year old also named Ioannes, and royal authority could be invested in him. The boy's mother had died a few years earlier, mauled by a bear while gathering herbal ingredients, and so it was up to others to now care for this boy anyway, or leave him to his fate.
Of course, there were calls for the council to reconvene and select a new king, but the very real concern about legitimacy was now coming into play. A body that neither had no inherent authority continuing from the old king, the old government, or the people was a very shaky thing to be selecting new kings, even more so in that political climate. It is amazing that they even got away with it the first time. If they installed the younger Ioannes on the throne, however, the move could be played off as simply the legitimate continuation. Kings died, it was a fact of life, and whatever reasons outsiders might try and concoct to further reduce Kvatch, bad luck was a particularly poor excuse.
Thusly, the young boy became King Ioannes I of Kvatch, first of the Atticus Dynasty. His rule would be under regency until the new year of 2E 450. He protested that his actual 16th birthday was sometime in First Seed, but those with power were more concerned with a smooth transition. Ironically, in time, most of them would die before Ioannes came of age, leaving the young ruler with mostly their children as advisers by the time he assumed real power. Though still a good fifteen years his senior in most cases, the fates were surely smiling upon him, as this new cohort was much more willing to allow for him to legitimately rule, rather than be a figurehead. As time would soon prove, Ioannes I was not only the first of a new line, but very definitely one of the best rulers in all of Tamriel.
---------------
Private Dining Hall, Castle Kvatch
3:31 PM, 1 Morning Star, 2E 450
The "Royal Advisory Council" as they were now apparently being called were seated around a long banquet table, about half full of food. Most of them looked bored, tired, or even outright annoyed. Today was the first day of King Ioannes' rule without a regent, and the boy was wasting no time in meddling with how things were supposed to work. There had been a big ceremony, not only for the King, but celebrating the New Life Festival as was tradition. There had been food and drink, and the grand mid-day meal.... and now the King insisted on calling a meeting about the state of affairs of the realm. Well within his power, but very very poorly timed. No doubt there would not be a repeat of this next year, and not because it was such a faux pas. Indeed, Ioannes knew very well this wasn't the norm, he simply didn't care. He had to exert his authority, to show the rest he really was in charge. Ioannes had a very even temperament, a bit soft actually, but when he made a decision, he was going to want it carried out, no questions asked. This did mean, though, that while he was very insistent about this meeting, he looked the other way at his councilors signs of disdain, allowing for them to express themselves more freely as to avoid clamping down too hard.
"Still awake Molvirian? Nodding off I see?" The King had been allowing for a brief pause while refills were brought, but now cut again. His town was harsh, but then his face cracked into a smile. "Don't worry. I think we've all covered what needs to be covered. I do understand what today is, yes, and won't keep you gathered much longer." In any other court in Cyrodiil, or even all of Tamriel, this conduct would be scandalous, but not here. Or at least if it was, for now it's what they all knew was going to be the norm, because there were no better alternatives. "Let's just recap the overall agenda for this year, please, Baron, if you would start."
"Yes, very well. The issue I brought up first and foremost has apparently been taken care of..." Baron Tavian was a stiff and proper by nature, but had quickly learned he could not force his mannerisms onto the young King. He had been Ioannes mentor and regent, and as such was very much used to this behavior, and to Ioannes' vocabulary, which could sometimes go over the heads of some of the lesser members of the court. No, that was not what had him slightly disheveled right now. It was the fact that Ioannes had apparently gone and found himself a bride, all by himself, by way of pen pal. And the marriage was to be next week, no less! "With that taken care of, I shall now turn the full focus of my efforts towards solving the bandit problem. Varondo is a minor camp, best suited for outright seizure, so we shall leave that to the good Count Molvirian. The Linchal group is more entrenched, however, and their area of control extends into the de jure realm of Anvil. I will start work at once securing the... necessary documents to ensure that our eventual clearing of that group gains us the full extent of the occupied land..." A few slight pauses were placed in. Tavian, while accepting that they would need to play a little dirty to survive in the harsh post-Empire landscape, still felt the need to use metaphor to hide the fact, even among his co-conspirators. He nodded that he was done, and the King looked to Count Molvirian to go next, as it was a natural transition.
"I can marshal our forces in about one month. Sun's Dawn is an early start, but hopefully we can catch them off guard. They won't be expecting a major campaign that early. Also it will show our neighbors that you, our new King, are serious, and not to be trifled with!" Molvirian was all enthusiasm. Rough enthusiasm. Fitting, for a military man. Ioannes nodded at Steward Strillian next.
"I will begin searching the wilds. Local affairs are going well enough as it is. Now is as good a time as any to begin cataloging the various Elven ruins, and the old forts from the invasion." Brief, but to the point. Neighboring Valenwood so closely, it could be a bit of a sore point, as the original owners of some of those ruins were literally right there, across the river. Not like any were HERE, in the meeting, but still, the less said the better.
Next was the King's eyes and ears, a young woman he didn't particularly care for, but respected for her talents nonetheless, Galeria. "I will stay close to your side, looking for potential plots on your life. Our neighbors are just looking for any excuse to invade, we know, and once some of our... other plans get underway, no doubt they will redouble efforts." Unlike Tavian, Galeria's pause had more to do with thinly covered sarcasm than any dubious morals. Indeed, to be a spy, one needed to sometimes cast off all morals. Instead this sprung from her earlier statements, to the effect that they might all be fools for having such ambition. She wasn't necessarily content with the lot they'd been handed, but she was definitely one for caution. Caution expressed through sarcasm...
Ioannes looked at Mayor Zedrick intently, knowing the highly religious man would have trouble containing himself. "I will, for the moment, continue about my duties here. We will leave our small problem to Count Albec." Perhaps taking a cue from Galeria, Zedrick's words had a twinge of sarcasm too. He was referring to a cult that was forming in Hackdirt. The King had not called it a small problem. Far from it, he was quite concerned. However, right now he simply didn't have the authority to step in for his lords and take control of the situation. Count Albec was quite loyal, though Ioannes did not care for him, but even still, there were some limits to how fast they should move. Ironically, most of the rest of the council agreed with Ioannes more because he was moving fast diplomatically and militarily than anything else.
(The Religious Problem)
High priest Anton simply raised his eyebrows after Zedrick finished and quickly added on. "As will I, though with an eye towards seeing what I can do for the atmosphere around here." No one really grasped what he was saying, but Anton was a weird one. He wasn't just a mage, but also an avid interior decorator, and had a tendency to go on and on about how Kvatch lacked "proper culture", whatever that meant. As long as he was doing his job, and not hindering others, most were content to let him have at it, whatever he was trying to do.
(Councilor Assignments)
"Excellent. Sounds good to me. I think we can all take the rest of the day off now. Take two, if you wish. Though Tavian... I'll need to see you tomorrow, bright and early. We need to work on the arrangements." Ioannes could be subdued, quiet, or formal when he wanted to, but today wasn't one of those days. Even more so when the absolutely elation seeped through in his voice as the prospect of his wedding, as unconventional as it was. He was still a teenager at heart, even if it had to go through his unusual upbringing to show.
"Yes, your highness. I expected as such." With that, the meeting was over, and Kvatch was set on a course that would affect all of Tamriel.
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