Welcome to Wake's Library

Art by Chmdraws

Within this thread, I intend to write non-canon lore, akin to ones I've already written in-game.

These double as lore submissions, should the lore team like what they read!
Sometimes, I am inspired to write and just needed a home for my thoughts.

Introduction to Valkian History
By Desmond Priory, Royal Scholar of the University of Mariza



Chapter I: Humanity's Origin

Valkia is Old Common for 'Fatherland.' The term 'Valkian' meaning 'of the Fatherland,' which is apt, as the Midlands is where Humanity began. Mariza has always been the capital of the Midlands and, by extension, the Valkian Realm, sometimes known as the 'Valkian Empire.' We, the Valks, Valkians or Valkyians, are ancestors of the original Humans and the harbingers of the 'Collapse' of the Ancients, as the Aedall would write it. In reality, we are the liberators of the modern man. When our ears became round, not pointed, we were subjugated further from the freedoms any individual now has. We were slaves in the eyes of the Ancients and thus, when we burned down Citadel-- where the highborns once demanded our blood for daring to revolt-- we began a new age. Our calendar marked it as '0 A.C.'

Popular belief has it that Elves had no place in the early Human Kingdoms that arose from the Collapse. This is untrue, to which some Ancients-- the ancestors of modern Elves-- aided humanity in our rebellion. Whilst few in number, these Elves would help restore Mariza after much of it was burned down from the revolt. Unfortunately, these Elves were subject to scrutiny by the newfound Human nobles and the general population. Most would be driven from their homes, harassed or assassinated until no Elf held anything more than the clothes on their back. The few that remained in protected company as friends of nobility or scholars would perish in the Plague of Shivers in 102 A.C.
Most became refugees, fleeing to the Aedall in the south or migrated to distant Ko'ram.

The Plague of Shivers in 102 A.C. is a defining piece of history that defines modern Valkians. It killed a large portion of the population in all regions of our continent, from The Wall to Skykeep before making its way overseas. Over fifty-million people perished across all lands and races. The very few that survived the plague would perish early, with the eldest plague survivor dying at 43.

A conspiracy exists to this day unproven that the Aedall designed this plague. The most damning evidence for this conspiracy originates from arcane speculation- as magic held no affect in curing the affliction. No amount of alchemical or arcane aid even relieved its symptoms. Those that survived the Shivering Plague were either fortunate few or clever isolators, whom quarantined themselves from others.




Chapter II: The Dark Age

It took hundreds of years to recover from the Shivering Plague.
Ancient knowledge, such as architectural designs, alchemical formulas and ancient enchantments were lost. A great portion of history pre-dating the Collapse was also lost. Within this 'Dark Age' was a fearful isolation between the few that remained, which gave rise to cultures now separated by vast distances. From these newfound cultures rose borders-- and from borders came Houses of Nobility, in all their complexity and diplomacy between.
Rulan, Sudvalkia, The North and the Midlands became host to various lands and borders.

In this Dark Age, we stumbled to re-learn what we had lost. Gone was the cold logic of the Ancients and, instead, superstition grew into common belief, such as that with the four humours of old physicians, or the forging with pigs blood to give metal more strength. What began as mud huts in forests would slowly take form into distinct architectural designs across the lands. Throughout it all, Mariza remained as the largest bastion of humanity as the geographical heartland of trade. Naturally, Mariza would be the birthplace of the Valkian Realm. All paths lead to Mariza.


*The next few chapters detail some obscure histories of bygone Midland Kingdoms*




Chapter V: The Birth of the Valkian Realm

The Valkian Realm is only a few hundred years old. It began with the feudal gathering of lands under King Rayan I, known as "Rayan the Warrior," "Rayan the Conqueror" or "Rayan the Emperor." The latter title would be adopted for all his descendants, as King-Emperors or Queen-Empresses. The first ruler of the Valkian Realm would rule between 1223 to 1287, as the ruling monarch for 64 years until his death at the age of 85. When ascending to the throne at the age of 21, he was already an accomplished commander of five years, having fought to defend the Midlands from the Kaskarr Horde that attempted invasion in the east. A desperate and bloodthirsty gathering of Stonerunner tribes made great strives in ravaging the Midlands for years until Rayan fought under the tutorship of his uncle, the only sibling of the King of Mariza; Rayan's father. Whilst victory was assured after bloody warfare, his uncle's death weighted heavily upon his mind, now being the sole heir to the Mariza throne.

When his father perished, King Rayan gathered his holdings Lords and began plans for expansion. The war of his younger years had proven that only a united land under one crown could defend itself. His crown. Many noble families had fought alongside Rayan and trusted him to lead. From the start of Rayan's reign, his humble Kingdom of Mariza grew into half the continent, with most of the Midlands under his authority. His greatest victory, the Battle of Lonsien, would see the collapse of Novassid, (now known as Sudvalkia) with the defeat of the King of the ancient Regno di Novassid nation that had existed since the Collapse.

Upon his death in 1287 A.C., King Rayan I had four children. Without dispute, the first King-Emperor would be coronated in Mariza, Rorik 'the kind,' who would rule for almost twenty peaceful years as he stabilized the conquered lands with his brothers and children. The royal bloodline grew significantly during this reign, though most importantly, Rorik would establish The Red Fists, the imperial standing army. Named in part due to the red insignia of the royal household, the Red Fists were named such for being 'the iron fist of the King.' Whilst Rorik was a relatively peaceful King that was known for his charitable deeds and trade agreements with foreign lands, his brothers lead the Red Fists in battles on his behalf.

It is no surprise then that upon King-Emperor Rorik's death in 1306 A.C., the Valkian Realm would befall to civil war between Rorik's adult children and their uncles that had been leading the Red Fists for years. A relatively brief war of two years, it saw the ascension of King-Emperor Corven in Mariza whom sought to end the wars his uncles waged. The war was fought primarily because Rorik's death had been sudden, to which no heir had been appointed. Corven, the eldest of Rorik's children, was coronated only a week after Rorik's death-- about the same amount of time it took a messenger to reach Rorik's brothers on the frontlines in The North. Believing one of themselves should be named heir, to which honoured the wishes of their father Rayan, the Red Fists marched south to Mariza. Whilst the war went on for two years, Mariza was sieged for only three months before being taken.

King-Emperor Corven was assassinated in 1308 A.C. as a guest of an estate in Convanouva. It is unclear if his assassination was plotted by his brothers or by Novassid loyalists whom had been conquered only decades prior. At news of his death, the war ended without much fanfare. The youngest of the three remaining children of Rayan was crowned, King-Emperor Marcus I, whom continued the expansion of the Valkian Realms.


*The next few chapters describe the interesting lives and expansions of the next Kings and Queens*




Chapter VIII: Amelia's Golden Age

In 1448 A.C., Queen-Empress Amelia would be coronated after returning from a diplomatic visit as princess to the Mistan Isles. Being the sole heir to the Valkian throne and first female ruler of the now vast lands, there was uncertainty to the succession, especially as Amelia was coronated only at the age of 19. Civil strife would arise from eastern Lords in the Midlands, who became increasingly disillusioned with Valkian unity and desired independence. These Lords, colloquially known as the "Council of Warlords," wished to expand their own domains by invading into Fallstone via Stonerunner mountains (that they would also invade). Believing Amelia weak, the warlords sparked a civil war by blocking trade routes to Mariza, demanding their independence to lift the blockades. Over the new few years, the Red Fists would crush the rebellion in the east.

At this time, Sanguifleur was having a revolution of its own. The independent Kingdoms had unsteady peace with the growing Valkian Realm, with only a few skirmishes over the years. House Leclair of Sanguifleur had angered their population extensively to such an extent that a popular uprising amongst the peasantry arose. Leaders of this revolution were granted support by Queen Amelia unofficially. A long, bloody revolution went on for almost fifteen years, between 1455 to 1469 as the long-standing monarchy of Sanguifleur's bloodflower banners were burned away. Following the end of the revolution, Sanguifleur and its breakaway county of Cazmuth became part of the Valkian Realm.

By 1470, the Council of Warlords and House Leclair were no more. Queen-Empress Amelia had successfully expanded her Realm to most of the continent and, in the following years, had secured profitable alliances with both the fletching Fallstoner Republic, the Kingdom of Rulan (at the time, independent), the Pearl Coast of the Mistan Isles and even as far as Clan Moon in Mori, Ko'ram. By the end of her reign in 1491, Amelia was heralded as the glorious queen of a golden age in her own name. For this reason, many golden coins from this era are considered lucky, as they bear her resemblance.

Unfortunately, Queen-Empress Amelia died young, only at 47 years of age. It was believed stress gave her ill-health and contributed to her death. Having bore three children, her eldest son took the throne, King-Emperor Rayan II, whom was most famed for the Siege of Frostpeak and the dismantling of House Kallgren's Kingdom.



*The book goes on for several more chapters, ending at the start of King-Emperor Rayan IV's reign*

The Korami Split
A brief essay by Elreyna Xal'tara


The Collapse of 0 A.C. brought into existence two Elven-based civilizations.
The Aedall of the Southern Reach were simply a continuation of the Ancients that oppressed humanity in popular belief, whom did nothing to change this narrative until their mysterious disappearance in 1590. To them, there was no 'Collapse,' as even their calendar differed from ours, to an extent that the year of The Collapse, our 0 A.C. was merely their year of 7099. To them, they did not accept humanity's rebellion as the end of their way of life, but merely an event that relocated a majority of them. Their cold logic, dislike toward Fables and governance of a magocracy from a 'Council of Elders' is what little we know of them leading up to their disappearance.

Why, then, are the Korami so different?
In Ko'ram, the Collapse is accepted and the same bloodlines of the Ancients that runs through Elvish veins in Ko'ram find themselves so radically different from the Aedall. Most obvious is the Korami distrust of magic across many of its lands, especially that of Iria where mages are outright banned or exiled by its spiritualist Great Clans. Fables are not mocked, but revered as divine and sacred, giving credence to many cultural phenomena found strange to other lands.

The first answer lay in the geography and history of The Collapse.
Prior to The Collapse, Ko'ram colonies of the Ancients were distant and new. Whilst upon the known continent, the ancient civilization spanned from the Southern Reach to the North, Ko'ram was an untamed and new land. When rebellion occurred in Mariza, the Aedall refugees fled beyond The Wall where infrastructure already existed, albeit limited. From here, in isolation, came to be the Elves we knew until they vanished. In Ko'ram, however, the Korami chose to build something anew and not make the same mistakes as their ancestors-- taking heed of the mistakes of the Ancestors in their negligence of humanity. For this reason, populations of Humans, Greatlings and Fey-Touched can be found in Ko'ram, albeit smaller than the overwhelmingly ancient Elvish population. From Ko'ram's unique land came new traditions, architecture and foods- a new culture.

The second answer is Fables and Spirits.
'The Garden' of the Aedall proved Fable influence was limited in the Southern Reach by arcane design. Besides iconology of an angelic figure yet unknown as of writing, religion amongst the Aedall was seen as something for lower-classes. Comparatively, Fables in Ko'ram are revered so heavily that laws are put in place for better faithful practices-- especially to that of the Twinned Birds, Equinox and Phoenix.

It is easy to state that Ko'ram is a mystical land, though to outsiders, such statement is seldom understood. Upon the arrival of the first Elves in Ko'ram, it became obvious that the veil between Realms may be weaker. The popular belief of "Yaoyorozu No Kami," meaning 'Eight-Million Gods,' is an apt term to describe the Korami faith that everything from the land, weather and time itself has an entity attached. Furthermore, the belief that every object, be it kitchenware or a vase, held a 'soul' originates from this belief. This is because Ko'ram does have a more spiritual presence in our Realm than other continents, a spirituality that seeps into all of its people, all of its enigmatic creatures and its beautiful-- sometimes hostile-- landscapes.



Finally, the third answer is isolation.
Between the Collapse and our modern day outlook is over one-thousand years of mostly untold history. Time has a great impact upon mortals and change, especially in isolation from one another. For example, Mariza is only a few hundred miles away from Auclair, yet in only a few hundred years, both the Midlands Valks and the Sanguifleur Valks are so radically different in culture, they are considered separate entities with entirely different languages. After The Collapse, the Elves of Ko'ram and the Elves of the Aedall changed. Whilst the Aedall recognised Korami as distant cousins, accepting diplomats from Ko'ram Clans (the only diplomacy they ever accepted), they considered the Korami lost and ignorant of their true heritage. Even today, Ko'ram is a diverse land, split between many borders, Great Clans and defined cultures founded in their long histories.

I hope this essay helped clarify some ancient history, even if rudimentary knowledge at best.

The Royal Bloodline: Chronicles of Valkian Rulers
Recorded by Royal Archives of Mariza




King Reld of Mariza "the Reclaimer"
1073 - 1144
First ruler of the House, known for reclaiming Mariza and its lands through conquest, rightfully his by shared blood.
Died peacefully of old age.



King Rolland I of Mariza
1144 - 1161
Known for his love of his people and often royal visits to his lords, diligent in both battle and paperwork.
Died hunting a Horned Monarch.



King Connor of Mariza
1161 - 1223
Known for constructing the royal palace and living a long, peaceful reign.
Died peacefully of old age.



King Rayan I "The Emperor"
1223 - 1287
Known for founding the Valkian Realm, his conquests and his skill in battle and diplomacy.
Died peacefully of old age.



King-Emperor Rorik "the Kind"
1287 - 1306
Known for his charity and kindness, ruled alongside his three brothers, founded the Red Fists.
Died suddenly, yet peacefully.



King-Emperor Corven
1306 - 1308
Known as the usurper wild child of Rorik, whom would dismantle an empire in the name of peace.
Assassinated in Sudvalkia whilst in hiding from his uncles.



King-Emperor Marcus I
1308 - 1335
Known as the younger of the 'ruling three' brothers, who lived a martial life and never knew peace. 
Died annoyed at old age.



King-Emperor Edmund "the Mage"
1335 - 1383
Known for his talent of the arcane, ruled the Valkian Realm as a bringer of justice and fairness.
Supposedly died in a magical-related incident, body never recovered.



King-Emperor Rolland II
1383 - 1403
Known as 'Rolland the Quiet.' Never spoke often, yet ruled a firm, peaceful and uneventful reign.
Died peacefully of old age.



King-Emperor Winston "the Drunk"
1403 - 1403
Was crowned before being usurped and locked away by his brother.
[N/A]



King-Emperor Richard "the Mad"
1403 - 1406
Known for imprisoning his rightful older brother and murdering his siblings. Ruled for three years, committing horrific deeds.
Killed by the Red Fists commander, Lord Lemarc 'the Kingslayer.'



King-Emperor Winston "the Drunk"
1406 - 1416
Known for excessively drinking after his long imprisonment and loss of family, said to have been wise, yet never sober.
Died of liver failure.



King-Emperor Arduin
1416 - 1448
Known as the bastard son of Winston, whom lead a rule of diplomatic struggles from unruly neighbours and vassals. Said to have been a good man.
Believed to have been assassinated by The Ravens.



Queen-Empress Amelia
1448 - 1491
Known for her golden age, expanding the Valkian Realm extensively and bringing prosperity to the empire.
Said to have died too soon, from stress.



King-Emperor Rayan II "the Conqueror" 
1491 - 1530
Known for his conquests north, leading battles against the North, conquering Frostpeak at the height of his military campaigns.
Killed in battle against House Archaden in The North.



King Emperor Marcus II
1530 - 1531
Known for his brief reign, albeit never coronated, having never left the frontlines after his fathers death.
Killed in a duel with Ophelia Kallgren.



King-Emperor Alistair "the Brave"
1531 - 1537
Known for his successful military campaigns, having fought from the North, to Rulan to the Amafells.
Died to an Aedall arrow.



King-Emperor Conrad "the Adventurer"
1537 - 1538
Known as the reluctant ruler, gave up his throne to his younger brother after a year of ruling.
Went missing in the Grand Ocean, said to have buried immeasurable treasures with him.



King-Emperor Rayan III
1538 - 1560
Known informally as 'Rayan the Wealthy' for his frugal gathering of treasury through unpopular miserly ways.
Died peacefully of old age. 



King-Emperor Marcus II
1560 - 1596
Known as Marcus the Widower, having lost four wives. A solemn man, preferred diplomacy over warfare.
Died peacefully of old age.



King-Emperor Richard II "the Elderly"
1596 - 1599
Known for being crowned at an unreasonably old age, yet did so until his son came of age, teaching him everything he knew.
Abdicated before death, dying of leprosy.



King-Emperor Rayan IV
1599 - Present