D'Hara/History
Contents
The Book of D'Hara - Part I
Part I contains the realm's history from YD 1-10.
When the Judge of Shadovar, Sir Valdrix, refused to uphold the feudal rights of Duchess Katayanna Ogren, and instead issued a ban on her for claiming her feudal rights, Duchess Katayanna seceded her duchy creating D’Hara. Soon after, the Ruler of Shadovar, disgusted by the actions of Judge Valdrix, stepped down, but not before fighting a duel to the death with Judge Valdrix in which they were both seriously injured, causing Valdrix to loose his position. Before the duel, Valdrix further showed he was a traitor by lifting the ban on the previous dictator of Shadovar. The new judge of Shadovar promptly banned Valdrix and 3 others for their actions.
Emperor Mathias then stepped down from Ruler of Shadovar and joined D’Hara, as did the Duke of Nebel and many other nobles, leaving Shadovar an empty husk of its former self. D’Hara then declared war on Shadovar to reunite the two duchies under a new banner and a new ruler. The war with Shadovar officially ended with Marquis Naracan of Nebel switched the allegiance of his county to the new Queendom of D'Hara, ending Shadovar and reunifying the former duchies together.
Of the name of D'Hara
The name of D'Hara was founded after the name of a local prince in the legends of the local dwili people. Prince Dar of Hili was the heroic navigator who helped the tribe leave the barren lands of the East after a long drought in order to live a more prosperoud life from sea fishing. He guided the settlement of fishing towns on the isles, and is said to have been honored with a great luxurious tomb somewhere on one of the islands. This is why the islands are sometimes called "Tomb Islands", and why the new kingdom was named D'Hara.
Dragon Rebellion of D'Hara
The rhetoric of this rebellion was the result of a division created in the D’Haran nobility. For several reasons unmentioned here, it was decided by the Dragon Queen Katayanna that she should abdicate from the throne in order to lead a colony effort to the mainland past Paisly. At the same time, a growing lack of confidence in the sanity of the Dragon Queen and severe mistrust in her behaviour led to opposition among the nobles who would remain in D’Hara. After a breakdown in meaningful communication, General Cenarious maneuvered a group of disillusioned nobles into a rebellion to overthrow the Queen. The rebels stated that because the Queen was stealing gold from the realm to found the colony, enough to destroy parent realm of D'Hara, and because of the Queen's recent behaviour against a duke of renown, they were no longer able to accept her rule. The colonists were not involved in the rebellion and were supported even after the Dragon Queen was overthrown and banned. The colonists became involved in the rebellion, mainly in support of the Queen, but were unable to stop the uprising. Dragon King Cenarious took the throne of D’Hara and began completely restructuring the hierarchy of the realm. During the rebellion the vast majority of the colonists fled with all the wealth they had thus far accumulated and followed Katayanna to the mainland realm of Caerwyn. With the damage done and the rebellion over, and with the colonists no longer members of D'Haran nobility, their wishes were soon disregarded by the new king. During the coup d’état Cenarious had promised to aid the colonists if they would aid his rebellion, or at the very least stay out of it, in support those remaining behind in D'Hara. It was thus no surprise that he turned his back on the colonists after they had all supported Katayanna and attempted to work against him during the rebellion.
Lord Bowie has since submitted an essay on this subject titled "Cause and Consequence of the D’Haran Rebellion in the Spring of 5 YD" to the Dwilight University in the Summer of 7 YD (or the 22 of June 2009).
Note by Asriel Octavius: The above account contains several inaccuracies. Not all colonists opposed the rebellion, I was a colonist and I fought for Cenarious. The vast majority of the colonists stayed out of the rebellion completely. Furthermore, the Queen did take some gold but the vast majority of the colonists didn't steal anything. Also, most of the colonists left after the rebellion, we weren't following the Queen either but our own High King-elect Celyn. I am appalled by these revisionist attempts at history and would urge everyone to see the lies for what they are.
Crusade for Sallowtown
The infamous Demon of Dwilight, Lord Bowie Ironsides, had successfully launched a Crusade for the city of Sallowtown in the name of the Great Dragon Sallow. He was given the Mandate of Sallowtown by the Great Dragon himself and charged with reviving the Sallowsian culture and prominence on the continent. By bringing civilization back to the suffering Sallowsians, and performing the necessary rituals, he has been named their Prince. With the blessings of the ancestors, he shall bring back the glory and power Sallowtown once wielded. The D’Haran Crusaders who have participated in this noble cause deserve their due recognition. They are: Duke Hexic Jeckyl, Marquis Rathan Himoura, Dame Sorsha McDowell, Sir Gislher Ehrenstein, and Sir Carlos Francisco Torres de los Reyes. The Sallowsian Sir Kratos Wolff participated with honours. The Prophet Tenebrioun Kiri-Jolith also deserves mention for preaching the faith in the city to prepare them for their deliverance.
Just over two weeks after its success, the Crusade faltered and failed. Many reasons were thrown as to why this happened. Among them was the lack of military presence by the Crusaders, whom all left after the city was taken over, save for one, the takeover unit being converted to militia by the Prince immediately after the takeover, leaving no unit of strength in the city, and finally the indiscretion by the Prince which led to his eventual ejection. The Prince had relations with one of Sallowtown's young princesses and impregnated her, later on giving birth to a son. The Sallowsians overthrew the noble rule and tossed the Prince back into the Qubel Channel, where he swore he would return.
The Dwilight Dueling Circuit
On the Fourth of July, Summer of 7 YD, D'Hara's finest nobles founded the continent's first dueling guild, the Dwilight Dueling Circuit. It was conceived by Prince Bowie and Duke Mathias, funded by the Prince, authorized by Count Gislher to be constructed over the old dueling ring in the region of Qubel, and supported by Duke Hexic. Since its construction, it has already become an attraction for the island-tombed realm.
The First Census
Since the Prince enrolled in the Dwilight University he has taken a greater focus on the history and society of D'Hara. To further his studies on the realm, he ordered announced the first Census. It was supported by only 2% of the nobility, but gathered interesting data nonetheless. While the King was not a participant, the Prince was.
Gap in Records
This was the period of the expulsion of the Demon Prince due to an exposed plot for rebellion, and then the wedding of Duke Mathias Ridder and Marshal Sorsha McDowell.
More details on the rebellion plot and the expulsion can be found here: Expulsion of Demon Prince.
More details on that subject and the wedding can be found here: Rebellion Plot and Wedding.
The War for Paisly
As recorded by Asriel Octavius.
On the 12th Day of Autumn in the 8th Year of Dwilight D’Hara declared war on Madina and attacked the city of Paisly. The same day, Terran allied itself with D’Hara and, a day later, also declared war on Madina. The Dragon King of D’Hara, Cenarious Stormrage, stated that the war was due to the hostile and insulting behaviour of Duchess Nightling Balewind of Paisly and the failure of Doge Tacin of Madina to control her.
The initial force which landed in Paisly was beaten back but they were reinforced over the next two days and were able to wipe out all the Madinan units guarding Paisly as well as wounding Nightling herself. In this they were aided by a monster attack against Paisly. However, the defenders rapidly began raising militia units to defend the city leading to days of protracted fighting. Terran forces were unable to aid in this since they were occupied trying to fight their way past the horde of monsters in Paisland.
After a few days the Madinans in Paisly were defeated and at last some Terran forces arrived to occupy the city while the D’Haran forces refitted in Port Raviel. The D’Haran forces were divided into two groups, the First and the Second Wave. The First Wave left immediately and began a friendly takeover as soon as they arrived in Paisly, aided by their Terran allies. There then followed a brief period where the occasional Madinan unit appeared and was wiped out whilst the Terrans struggled to get more reinforcements through Paisland and the D’Haran Second Wave refitted.
The season turned to winter and a day later reports reached D’Hara that the massed forces gathered in Madina were sailing for Paisly. The Second Wave was immediately ordered to Paisly along with everyone in Port Raviel. It was calculated that the combined allied forces in Paisly would be able to use their defensive advantage to defeat the slightly larger Madinan force. It was hoped that the takeover might even be complete by the time the Madinans arrived due to the long travel times on the stormy winter seas.
And, on the 3rd Day of Winter, just three days after it had started, the takeover was completed and Paisly became part of D'Hara. However, there was no time for the conquerors to celebrate since the same day news arrived of the vast forces that Madina was bringing north. Their huge fleet had been sighted just a few hours from Paisly and it was obvious that this would be one of the greatest battles in Dwilightian history. Madina had mustered almost twelve hundred men to attack the city, which was defended by a combined Terran and D'Haran force of almost a thousand men. Since the defenders would have the advantage of the walls it was impossible to predict how the battle would go. At the same time Duke Mathias stepped down from his stewardship of Port Nebel and was reappointed as the Duke of Paisly.
On the 5th Day of Winter a small Madinan force of seventy men landed and were shot down by the archers on the walls. They were wiped out to the last man but succeeded in killing two defenders with their bows. It was assumed they had arrived early by mistake, their ships sailing ahead of the main fleet. Another Madinan ship arrived the next day and the forces onboard promptly surrendered upon realising they were alone. Later that day a Madinan knight defected and joined D'Hara as a knight of Paisly.
On the 8th Day of Winter the decisive battle of the war took place. A Madinan force of seven hundred and eighty men landed and attacked the city. Over a three hour battle the nine hundred defenders held their ground, cutting down the Madinans as they approached the walls and then repelling the few units that actually made it onto the parapet. Unable to scale the walls the Madinans began a fighting retreat and were pursued by the defenders. The joint D'Haran-Terran forces continued to press the attack until the surviving Madinans were put to flight and driven from the battlefield. At the end of the battle D'Hara and Terran were the clear victors having lost a mere three hundred and thirty five compared to the seven hundred on the Madinan side. During the battle Sir Vigilans Animus, Magistrate of Justice of Terran, Senator of Chateau Saffalore, Marshal of the Pride of the Highlands and Vallyn Rothach, Lord Admiral of Madina, Marshal of the Madinan Ducal Guards were seriously wounded and four other nobles were wounded. A Madinan lord was also captured.
During the next day the Madinan forces scattered throughout the region were hunted and several assassination attempts by Madina were foiled. All of the assassins were captured and thrown into the dungeons. At sunset the same day a smaller Madinan force of a hundred attacked the city and were defeated. Eighty two casualties were inflicted by the defenders whilst they suffered twenty three of their own. Immediately after the battle Nightling herself attempted to assassinate Duke Mathias of Paisly only to be captured by his guards and imprisoned before she reached him. This was viewed as the icing on the cake by the defenders, even though she escaped just over a day later. Shortly afterwards, reports showed that the remainder of the Madinan fleet had turned around and was heading back to its own realm. No longer needed, the Terran forces said farewell to their allies and returned home to refit. On the way they managed to clear Paisland of the monsters that had been plaguing it.
On the 11th Day of Winter guards in Paisly captured Nightling Balewind while she was trying to escape from her successful assault on Douglas Münchhausen (a knight of Paisly). She was thrown into the dungeons in the hope that she could be banned so that the next time she was captured she could be executed. Shortly after Nightling was captured, another Madinan tried a similar stunt but was captured before they could harm anyone.
After a period spent refitting, during which a keep was built in Paisly, the D'Harans moved out into Paisland, beginning a friendly takeover on the 17th Day of Winter. It succeeded in two days.
The war gradually petered out over the coming days. Madina made no further attempt to attack and expanded its territories through the conquest of Candiels, indicating that it would rather spend its efforts on expanind westwards than on trying to recapture a far flung former posession. Certainly by early autumn of the same year there had been no further agression between the two realms and, whilst the state of war remained, the War for Paisly itself had ended.
The Interim Period
As recorded by Thers Lewinn.
The events on the western mainland brought both success and strain on the prospering D'Haran kingdom.
After the successful capture of Paisly and Paisland, quiet fell upon D'Hara. With two new provinces requiring nobility to control them, a re-shuffling of titles and minor oaths occurred. Duke Mathias' control over Paisly was solidified with the construction of a strong Keep, designed as a cornerstone of defense against possible Madinan offensives. Sir Machiavel, noted priest and Ambassador, was granted the title of Marquis and became the lord of Paisland.
Lady Sorsha McDowell became the Duchess of Port Nebel. Additionally, General Nils and Royal Fiduciary Lycan were both granted landed titles.
After several weeks of unusual behavior, Duke Mathias disappeared from his quarters in Paisly. Although none know for sure of his whereabouts, rumors of his death circulate through the D'Haran territories. Duchess Sorsha, who had carried Mathias' child in relative secret was distraught, and in a moment of weakness nearly took her own life. Queen Kisharianda, Confessor of D'Hara personally visited her adopted daughter and oversaw Sorsha's recovery.
With Mathias' absence appearing permanent, Duke Hexic, Marshall of the First File, was appointed the permanent control over the Duchy of Paisly. Lord Gislher was promoted to Duke by royal decree, to replace the exiting Marshall. Additionally, several knights followed their lords to new territory. In total, the distribution of knights throughout the kingdom became more even. Although it is arguable that Ports Nebel and Raviel lost some influence with such a re-arrangement, they remain the twin hearts of commerce and military development within the burgeoning Kingdom.
Despite the turmoil of personal intrigues, the politics and safety of the Kingdom remained superficially peaceful. Regular incursions by monsters and rogue bands from the wild Sallowsitte peninsula were turned back without significant loss of military effectiveness. The Kingdom remained at war with Madina, but that conflict had paused, at least temporarily.
Conflict with Ordenstaat
As recorded by Antonine Octavius.
In late Summer of the 9th Year of Dwilight, D'Haran troops began rallying in Paisland. After a sizable force had gathered, the armies of Cenarious moved south into Maeotis. The D'Haran force, comprised of troops from the First File and Black Lions, crossed the border into land nominally held by the realm of Ordenstaat but had been overrun by rogue elements for much of time of Ordenstaat's claim.
The fighting in Maeotis proved to be fierce, with considerable D'Haran blood spent in regaining control of the province from the bands of monsters which terrorized the landscape. The complete lack of Ordenstaat support was immediately noticed by the D'Haran nobles who had expended blood and gold in the endeavor. The Dragon King remained silent until the end of the operation, where a letter from him to the current ruler of Ordenstaat was published. The royal letter dictated the displeasure of D'Hara at Ordenstaat's silence and treachery. The former ruler of Ordenstaat, who had taken refuge in D'Hara, was to be restored to his throne - by D'Haran steel, if necessary.
A short while later, Caerwyn declared war in order to aid Ordenstaat, a decision which was also due diplomatic dealings which the author does not know the details of. During this period the D'haran forces refitted before heading back out to Paisly in force.
Shortly before the 8th Day of Autumn, scout reports revealed a large force had left Golden Farrow and was sailing for Port Raviel. Forewarned and forearmed, the D'Haran forces rallied in their capital and gold was distributed for the recruitment of larger units. On the morning of the 8th, the Caerwyn forces attacked and were soundly beaten, losing 560 men out of a force of 740 and suffering the indignity of having two prominent nobles captured. These were Baal Zephon Beldragos, High Magistrate of Caerwyn, Viscount of Grazne, Marshal of the Heavy Strikers Group and Khephera Stormwind, Archon of Caerwyn (their ruler). Under terms of an agreement drawn up before the battle, the High Magistrate would be released immediately but the fate of their ruler was less certain. Eventually, both were released and Caerwyn did not play any further significant role in the war.
Over the next few weeks Maeotis revolted and the D'Haran forces pulled back to Paisland. Ordenstaat was unable to exploit this however, as they were overrun with monsters. Then came an event which was to change much.
The banned traitor Rathan Himoura was captured during an attempted assassination and executed for his crimes. Following this, Sorsha McDowell and several other prominent nobles left the realm. Around this time scouts detected a force of daimons in the forests to the west and, disturbingly, reported the presence of Nightling Balewind and two Ordenstaaters in the same region as the daimons. The daimons then moved into Paisland, accompanied by the enemy nobles and the D'Haran forces braced themselves.
The daimons, however, did nothing upon arrival and the D'Haran nobles and their enemies exchanged angry words before Nightling commanded the daimons to attack. The daimons apparently resented this and prepared to leave. But unfortunately they had an altercation with the author and turned back intent on looting and murder. Their far superior numbers completely overwhelmed the beleagoured defenders and, in the battle, Duke Hexic (also a Marshal) was killed.
After their victories the daimons left Paisland and returned home. This author and Marquis Machiavel pursued them in an attempt to find out the cause for the daimons behaviour. Neither succeeded.
During this time Madina mounted an attack on Paisly, bringing more numbers to bear than D'Hara could match. However, Terran forces came to their aid, evening out the numbers. Furthermore, the Madinans showed little signs of learning from their past mistakes and parts of their forces arrived piecemeal on the 16th and 17th day of Spring Year 9. On the 18th day, five hundred and twenty Madinans attacked Paisly and were defeated by the defensive forces of seven hundred and sixty D'Harans and Terrans. On the 19th a further two hundred and fifty Madinans attacked and were defeated by the defenders who had now been reinforced to eight hundred and ninety men. After this disaster Madina retreated and, a few minor skirmishes not withstanding, D'Hara continued to rule Paisly unchallenged.
Whilst D'Hara had cause to celebrate, this period was short lived as the daimons attacked again and massacred all D'haran forces on the mainland and captured King Cenarious before leaving. During this period Ordenstaat expanded and shrank again without ever sending any troops onto D'Haran soil (they did capture Maeotis, however).
Cenarious was eventually released and it was at this point I left the realm for Aquilgeia where a friend had offred me a place. Beyond this point, the history must be recorded by another.
The Book of D'Hara - Part II
Part II shall cover YD 11 - 20
This section is currently being written by the Tandareen.
In the year 11, Terran and D'Hara founded the Republic of Barca on the ashes of Ordenstaat, thus creating the strategic treaty organization the Veinsormoot; the three realms were bound by treaty to join in federation.
(Unintelligible scribe notes)
During this time period, the Dragon King withdrew into privacy, and delegated power to the Prime Minister.
(Further cryptic notations)
This time period also saw the Long Winter, a period of protracted grim weather, famine, and revolt. The Long Winter saw the peasantry turn to madness and savagery, with Bloodmoon cults allegedly sowing seeds of anarchy on Raviel amidst the desperation. D'Hara struggled to maintain control over the tumultuous Dragon Isles.
This time of hardship soon grew more dire when Luria Nova seized on D'Hara's moment of weakness and declared war, laying claim to the entire Sallowcape, thirsting for more lands to feed the Lurian imperial menace.
The Book of D'Hara - Part III
Part III shall cover YD 21 - Present
As recorded by Ismail Tandaros.
White Peace with Luria Nova
The recovery from the Long Winter continued, with rogues being suppressed and full sovereignty being extended across the Dragon Isles. D'Haran forces, in conjunction with the military forces of the Veinsormoot, reclaimed the city of Paisly and expelled a puppet government that Aurvandil had installed in the city.
In the west, Luria Vesperi declared war upon Luria Nova to support her ally, D'Hara. For a time D'Haran forces rampaged in Girich, but not before being rebuffed by a superior Novan force. They carried on to the Desert of Silhouettes, taking control of the region, and pressing as far as Sallowwild, pillaging mercilessly as they went before finally withdrawing. The Scorchers of Notus then moved to assist Vesperi and lift Nova's siege on Shinnen, but faced continued frustration in the war efforts. Morale in the Scorchers plummeted and the war stalled. A small force of lords reclaimed the Desert while the massive forces of Luria Nova focused their might on Shinnen.
Prime Minister Rynn finally signed a white peace with Luria Nova, which was almost derailed by Lurian belligerence and diplomatic controversy. At that time, the two realms set their sights on their common enemy: Aurvandil.
Dragons Sail South
As the Lurian kingdoms grandiosely sealed Vesperi's fate in a grand tournament at Shinnen, D'Haran forces set sail for Fissoa to support them in the face of Aurvandil-Falkirkian invasion. Following the Fissoan General Barbarossa Nosferatus into battle at Drowenton, D'Hara's Dragons threw their full might into the vast ranks of Aurvandilian infantry. The battle was bloody and ruthless, resulting in a victory for Aurvandil. Hundreds of D'Haran & Fissoan men died, including Fissoa's noble fiduciary. A dozen knights were wounded, while General Barbarossa and Chairman Ismail were both captured for a time.
Following this, the allies briefly returned home to lick their wounds, and launched the campaign with renewed vigor. The allies skirmished with a massive Aurvandilian force over Laraibina, eventually seeing the region turn to D'Haran control. The Dragon Corps energetically prosecuted war against Falkirk. Aurvandil marched off to attempt to conquer Barca once more, leaving the quibbling Falkirkian Freestate to flee and barricade themselves in Madina City. The allies reigned freely in the Falkirkian holdings, driving many regions rogue and looting freely, and came to lay siege to Madina.
Shifting Politics
As the Dragon Corps waged war against the Falkirkian Freestate, Prime Minister Rynn JeVondair sailed across the northern inner seas, forging diplomatic ties with various theocracies, but mainly courting the Farronite Governor-General, Duchess Khari Kye. A grand state wedding was held in Mimer, where Regent Himeko Ishida hosted. The wedding was uniquely ecumenical, with Khari being a devoted Astroist and Rynn a pious Elementalist. Regent Himeko and the Elementalist elder Baal Zephon jointly presided over the ceremony, with the Prophet Mathurin emerging after the vows to deliver a moving sermon. More details on this event can be found in the book entitled Rynn's Wedding.
Thereafter, D'Hara witnessed an unusual breach from electoral tradition: Pierre von Genf suddenly challenged Rynn JeVondair in the election for the office of Prime Minister. His criticism was based on Rynn's temperamental diplomacy, in particular his erratic handling of Queen Alice Arundel of Luria Nova. Baron Pierre promised stronger ties with the northern theocracies due to his spiritual offices in Sanguis Astroism. Many lords endorsed Pierre for his stately strength, but several knights came out in favor of Rynn for his dynamic inspiration. In the end, Rynn won the election by a narrow margin.
The Return of the Dragon King
As King Cenarious grew old and infirm, the realm turned to consider matters of succession; in particular, Chairman Ismail proposed a Dragon Restoration. Upon the death of King Cenarious, his successor would rise to a position of government. The Prime Minister should carry on with his affairs of state and government, while the restored Dragon King should lead the realm to glory in battle as the head of the Military Table. A successor would be named from a short list of candidates based on claims of merit and blood. Lords Mathias, Kendal, Rynn, and Machiavel were all considered for the throne. Thus an election proceeded in the House of Lords on the shortlist - yet in the course of things Princess Selena, adopted daughter of King Cenarious, was engaged to Lord Machiavel, tipping his claim over the top and successfully securing the Dragon Throne for Machiavel Chenier.
During this debate, a Ravielan pirate somehow infiltrated the Royal Palace and slew the aged King Cenarious while he was out for a walk. The incident was investigated briefly but soon forgotten - the attacked was butchered on sight and all police work yielded a cold trail.
As the coronation celebrations convulsed Port Raviel, D'Hara sailed ever onward to war abroad - D'Haran warships by now have become a common appearance on the Inner Seas. In Madina Isle, the Dragon Corps, commanded by Vice-Marshal Ulfang Mormont, fought on against the Falkirkian Freestate, extending D'Haran control as far south as Panabuk and skirmishing with the foe in Madina Gardens, denying the enemy safe passage outside their city walls.
The Farronite Republic, meanwhile, newly joined to D'Hara in federation, sailed to Chesland to annex the Terran splinter state known as Saffalore. This voyage was coincided with the announcement of Governor-General Khari Kye's pregnancy. A small D'Haran expedition was launched under the command of Marshal Ismail Tandaros to assist the Farronites and protect the Prime Minister's wife; Chesland was fought over in several waves, seeing hundreds killed and injured. Each D'Haran noble involved - Lords Daemon, Turin, and Ismail - sustained serious wounds in battle, valiantly fighting side by side with their men.
The Book of D'Hara - Part III: Addenda
Notes from the third decade have been uncovered. At the time, many of the nobles of D'Hara had expressed desire for a change in the heraldry, deemed outdated at best, when not outright horrid. With the suggestions of these nobles, Dragon King Machiavel Chénier ordered the issuing of various drafts, to see if the realm could reach consensus over any. The House of Lord had fallen into generalized apathy by then, however, and the project made no progress. With the loss of the Dragon King, it was completely abandoned. However, some of these have been found in Selena Chénier's notes, and sent back to D'Hara. They can be found below.
- banner https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/387697156578082827/509720858554531850/DHara-banner.png
- icon1 https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/387697156578082827/509735994858405888/Shadovar-icon.png
- icon2 https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/387697156578082827/509735997014016004/DHara-icon_2.png
- icon3 https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/387697156578082827/509735999530729492/DHara-icon.png
