The Kingdom of Eryndor is a diverse land, rich in many different biomes, each with its own ruler and specialty in trade and services.
To the North existed the Northern hunting grounds, which contained bundles and bundles of forests featuring game-rich valleys.
To the West were the Western Borderlands: a militarily secure area with plentiful amounts of martial traditions.
The South coveted its naval trade and shipyards, with it being connected to a vast warm ocean of kelp and fish.
In the East were tall, dense woodlands, home to thousands of falcons that perched in their inviting foliage and branches.
In the center, not too far from the Capital of Eryndor, were the central plains where one could find rich farmlands and plentiful amounts of trade roads.
In between the North and the East were the iron hills, an area known for its iron production and smithing industry.
A little away from the West were valleys and valleys of vineyards; this area was the kingdom's home and the source of wine and alcohol.
Each of these places did have noble households at the core of their lands, but none are relevant in this story, at least, not yet.
The Capital City of Eryndor, proudly named the city of Eryndome, was home to the Solaris Lineage, or in other words, the Royal Family.
Among the family, there were 5 members: Vernon Solaris, the King; Isolde Solaris, the Queen; Aldric Solaris, the Crown Prince; Evelyn Solaris, the Crown Princess; and Prince Rynar Solaris, unfortunately titled 'The Spare' by many.
In particular, four main bodies of power fell underneath the crown. 3 duchies and 1 marquisate.
The Duchy of Dreyos, located in the Southeast Lowlands, was home to fertile farmlands, unpredictable rivers, and gentile hills.
The Duchy of Veylen, located in the Southwest Coastlands, was home to terrible swamps, brown marshes, and aging ports.
The Duchy of Althain, located in the Northeast Highlands, contained rugged mountains, silver mines, and large, bulky fortress towns.
The Marquisate of Calwyne, though under a lesser title, was undoubtedly stronger than the rest; frequently experiencing raids, their military was well-developed and among the strongest in the kingdom.
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YEAR 1654
The Central Plains were a place of immense trade. Countless noble houses vied for control over trade there, and most were satisfied. Most.
The Duchies of Veylen and Dreyos began a decades-long conflict over trading rights and influence at court, which naturally came with the amount of money they could rake in through trade.
Minor skirmishes came throughout the years, brushes with each other's military, tariff disputes when it came to imports and exports, and insults at court were some of the many barbaric displays of this petty rivalry.
Year 1670
If only it could have remained petty, perhaps the unfortunate events of this story would have never come to fruition. While travelling on one of the many roads in Eryndor, the Duke and Duchess of Veylen had a carriage accident, killing both of them.
It wasn't just any road; however, it was a road in the Southeast. A road belonging to a trade route managed by the Duchy of Dreyos.
A massive feud and conflict rose from this, and was only quelled when court findings proved that there was no substantial evidence of any foul play; in fact, there was none.
The carriage driver, who was badly injured, testified, saying that one of the horses suddenly got spooked, taking the carriage off the road and down a large ditch.
However, there was one person who was severely pissed off and made it known to the world that he was pissed off. Ronan Veylen, son of the late Duke and Duchess Veylen.
Year 1682
Only one person managed to soften Ronan Veylen. And that was his wife, Irene Veylen. She was often described as pure and one of the kindest beings to have ever graced Eryndor.
High Society was, quite frankly, shocked that such a saintly person would go live in a place with as disgusting an environment as Veylen, but nevertheless, she did, and she didn't dislike it in any way.
Following their marriage, Rian Veylen, heir to Veylen, was born only 2 years later in 1684.
On the other hand, Armand Dreyos and Selene Dreyos, Duke and Duchess of Dreyos, got married in 1684, having children Kaelith and Aric in 1686 and 1688, respectively.
Despite this seemingly era of happiness, King Vernon Solaris was worried. Worried of a rebellion, worried that the throne would be usurped.
And so he began arranging marriages throughout the kingdom to bring rival families together, in hopes of weakening them through conflict. It was only a matter of time before Veylen and Dreyos were brought together.
However, despite the minor irk of arranged marriages now being more prevalent, the era of happiness would seemingly never end for the kingdom. The only thing that could possibly, maybe, do something about it would be the wrath of Veylen Duchy.
But they had calmed down since the arrival of the duchess, even if they were still furious about the loss of the previous leaders. Even though the seeds of chaos had been planted, they would not break through their shells. They would not sprout. And they would not bloom, just as long as the Duchess lived...