Sallow Princes

The origins of the Nobility lie in the last years of the First Age. Little survives to speak of what occurred in the twilight years of that long-passed time, and after the Naming War certainly none of the Gods - those who might know - speak of such times. It is enough to know, though, that come the first year of the new age the land that made up the dominion of what is now the Empire was ruled by the Sallow Princes.

Absolute rulers in their own lands, the Princes had no sole leader. There rapidly came to be a Master of the Nagrech in Halgar but even he, Rust Nagrech, did not and could not govern those that were the Princes. It must be born in mind that the land dominated by such rulers did not at first comprise all that which is now the Empire. The only cities of note were for some time Halgar, Alguss (Alguz), Bieltene (Bildteve), Rorthern (now lost) and Bylgel (Ickybiggle). Many of the Princes did not take interest in such places, and indeed carved out their own dominions in the lessening wilds away from the narrow strip of the map marked out by the cities. Yet more than one, and in some cases many Princes did dwell in such settlements, vying with one another for power over their brethren. Further afield the work of others spread civilisation north, east and south until eventually the ends of the world (such as they were perceived) were reached at the two mountain ranges that even now define the ends of the Empire.

By the time the Princes had spread across the now-known world, those who had claimed and held such a title were secure in their position. Those who followed, those also descended, or who had even been present at the events that gave them such power in the First Age, were given title and position of their own and even today many of these ranks survive. Only those present or descended from the events of the First Age that saw the turning of that time to the Second possessed the secrets of the High Ritual power, and the very assumption of titles and status set them apart from those who merely did what they were told. One’s name became important, the deeds of ancestors as significant as those of the living. Unions were made for various reasons, but each was careful to only breed amongst others of their kind - others of the Blood. Many Princes took mistresses or toys from the families of those below them and during the time of the Sallow Princes, though the Blood was kept free from taint, it actually proliferated.

Whilst marriage was unheard of (though ‘compact of union’ was) it was common for those of similar parentage to band together. An especially strong Prince might well have several Blooded men or women serving her or his bed, and they often banded their children together for mutual support, station and advancement. Here were first seen the rise of the Houses that became more formalised as the years passed.

It is not the place of this article to investigate the nature, history or fall of the Sallow Princes, that will be for another time, but it is enough to know that the Houses eventually grew to be more powerful than individual Princes. Some of the Princes lived extremely long lives, certainly more than a century and three longer even than that. The Houses existed simply because those within supported one another, without having a single figurehead who might be seen as a threat by the incumbent Prince. The Principalities did not fall quickly, or indeed all at once. But fall they did, to the Republic.