~Player’s

Handbook version ~
elcome to the Empire of Rozena! A world of cunning and deceit, an empire built
on blood-soaked soil, held together by fragile golden strings. The only thing that
hides the gruesome true face of this Empire is the thin veil of high society,
seeped in opulence and decorum. Where one can kiss a hand with poisoned lips and is
just as likely to sweep you off your feet, as they may stab you in the back. A place of
intrigue and drama, where the lucky few can seize power to rise above their station
though in the process you might just lose your heart – or indeed your life – to the dark
machinations of a court that does not trust even itself…

The main goal of this document is to familiarise you with the world of this campaign, to
give you an index where you can look up the information about the world and its
inhabitants that your characters would reasonably know going into this campaign. If
there is anything more you wish to know, or any more context you would like added to
this document please feel free to shoot me a message and I’ll do my best to
accommodate you. Also, at some point I will convert this into an editable google doc so
you can add your own character information / create a communal notes page for you to
keep track of should you wish.

My lords, ladies and theydies of high esteem I wish you the best of luck…

Table of Contents/ Navigation Tab

~Core Campaign Mechanics~

Ability modi ier methods
Rumour Phase
Epistolary Phase

~Plot and Lore~

Our Plot Hook/ Prologue
History of the Empire
The Ducal Families and society layout
The Imperial Family
Imperial Family NPCs

~Characters (General)~
*Characters are colour-coded to show their notable allegiances – a key of this is found both at the top
matter of the Imperial Family section and the NPC guide*
Lords and Ladies Chart
NPC guide

Maps
Map of the Empire (inc. territory leaders)

~Core Campaign Mechanics~

So! Before we get into the fun plot stuff I’m just going to lay out some of the stranger
aspects of this campaign:

The general premise for the campaign is explained in the next section but mechanically
speaking this is a generally role-play heavy/ combat-light campaign. I would advise
when you are building your characters to focus more on traits, feats, skills and spells
that you can use in social situations/ to be sneaky or conniving etc. rather than damage
heavy attacking moves. HOWEVER – that is not to say this campaign is completely
devoid of combat – in fact I guarantee there will be at least one combat so best not to
completely neglect it. My goal with this campaign is to allow you to use your character
sheets as fully and creatively as possible but did want to prewarn you that you may be
disappointed if you stat your sheet to be only geared towards combat. (That being said if
you do go into the imperial court guns blazing shooting all in sight there’s really not a lot
I can do to stop you so go piss girl ig)

A word of caution. I would suggest you have at least one back-up character for this
campaign. I am not out to kill your characters – quite the opposite – but I was upfront
with the fact that this is DND Game of Thrones and there WILL be murder afoot. Did you
think you were above the iring line? Again though, I will be fair – hell I’ll gas you up if
you survive my assassination attempts but I do want you to be prepared just in case the
dice decide to cut your story short…

Character Creation Ability Mod systems

I don’t care which system you choose to create your ability modi iers with (we’ll do this
in session zero I promise) but I’ve listed below some of the ones you might like (also
have included the mod table below)

Average rolling
I’m a slut for tradition so this is a nice easy breezy method to crank out a
character sheet. Very easy you roll 4d6 for each stat and take the highest three numbers

 and add them together for each one. For example, if you are rolling for strength and you
rolled: 6, 5, 4, 2 your ability mod would be (6+5+4) 15.

Point-buy system
This is a method of character building we are trialling right now as it allows you
to micromanage where you assign your stats. I’ve linked a guide below:
https://mykindofmeeple.com/how-to-use-point-buy-5e-dnd-pros-cons/
The general gist is this: you have a pool of 27 points and all of your six stats start at a
base level of 8 as a modi ier. You can choose to ‘buy’ an ability score mod for a certain
number of points. Each mod costs a different number of points. For example, you could
spend all 27 points on boosting three of your ability scores to 15. You may also boost
your pool of points by taking away from your base score of 8 (but beware that that
lowers your mod for that speci ic stat)

It’s all a little complicated but this may be preferable for a campaign where you might
need to be a little strategic with where you put in effort on your character sheet – so we
can go through this in session zero if need be.

Chaos Rolls
Okay so another method we love is chaos rolls, rolling 6d20 and then slotting
those numbers into the ability modi iers section. -HOWEVER this has rightfully led to
some wildly unbalanced characters (which we love) in the name of balance I have
brainstormed some balancing rules because loves if you are committing to chaos rolls –
there’s going to be some chaos ☺

The rules:
- If you roll and three of your stats are over 16 then you MUST take the highest
number, roll 1d6 and take that number away to make your new ability score. (if
you roll three 15’s or a singular 20 then you don’t need to do anything but if you
roll a 19,17 and 16 – you must nerf that 19)
- If you roll two numbers that are below 8, you can choose to roll 1d6 and add that
number to your lowest ability score
- Also, if any one of your rolls is a 1,2 or 3 you may also add 1d6 to these scores
regardless of how many others are below 8

For example; if you rolled

19, 17, 16, 11, 10 and 2 – you must subtract 1d6 from the 19 and you may choose to add
1d6 to the 2.

 Rumour Mechanics
In a world as obsessed with image as this one, maintaining one’s appearance and
reputation is of huge importance. The reverse of this of course is the opportunity to ruin
the precious reputation of others. I have unceremoniously ripped off Aabria Iyengar
with this mechanic (de initely recommend watching Dimension 20’s A Court of Fey and
Flowers if you have the time – hmu for Dropout login details babez) Every so often, your
gorgeous DM will update you on the rumours currently circulating the garden and you
will have the opportunity to either start a rumour, remove a rumour from the board or
escalate an existing rumour to a scandal. You can achieve this by using up a token you
may receive in-game or by taking a disadvantage modi ier to one of your core stats for
the day (after all no one likes a gossip). As a base, you can in luence up to 2 rumours per
rumour session (or if you have more tokens you may burn through them to affect more
but that is up to your discretion. If you have any questions about this new mechanic
shoot me a message or wait for the infamous session zero!

The Epistolary phase

At the end of each in-game day you will have the opportunity to send three
letters (including responses to letters you receive) to each other and to NPCs. This can
be a valuable tool in receiving information, forging alliances, and potentially partaking
in espionage. How you use this opportunity, and the content of these letters is entirely
up to you. You are under no obligation to reveal to the party the contents of the letter’s
you receive (and we’re trying to avoid meta-gaming here) but you can tell the players if
you like. Though a word of warning, choosing how you respond and to whom may
in luence your reputation at court and those who reveal their cards too readily may ind
themselves in very hot water indeed…

~PLOT AND LORE~

Our Plot Hook

Welcome my dears! You have been cordially invited, one and all from the Kingdom/
Duchy of [INSERT YOUR KINGDOM NAME HERE] to the Imperial Gala being thrown in
celebration of the 1000th Anniversary of the Empire of Rozena’s establishment! We are
using the festivities to seek an eligible match for the emperor’s offspring, most
deliciously, his named heir and true Firstborn Son, the Imperial Crown Prince Elxian
Elmont Qiantis. Other key players are the second prince Malkus and irst princess
Rosalia– alliances with whom could vastly improve one’s social standing, but I would
perhaps offer a word of caution over whom you choose to pursue.

Family ties and obligations could prove to be your undoing in the shadowy corners of
this great Empire of ours. It is by imperial decree that each Kingdom must elect and
offer at least one suitable candidate for the position of consort. Lesser families are also
offered the same opportunity so long as the candidate in question is of sound heart and
legitimate lineage.

All of you hail from the small but prosperous Duchy of Bregalla, with each of your
characters occupying a different position in their Court. A generation ago, the last time
such a gala was held, the duke’s daughter from your homeland was passed over and as
such, you, the Bregallas are a relative unknown to the Empire, having no formal
representative within the Imperial inner circles. This mysterious character could be
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your greatest asset…or your undoing in the tight-knit court. Each of you individually
come to this gala with different goals, hopes, fears and secrets. With so many in luential
people packed into one tiny space, the capital is a dangerous place and in the spring of
Youth, and you will need to work together to navigate the social pitfalls that can make or
break the future of your homeland…

History of the Empire

A thousand years ago now, the Empire of Rozena didn’t exist. What preceded was a
collection of kingdoms each individualistic in nature and preoccupied with their own
interests, which existed in relative harmony. But they were forced to put aside their
differences and band together as a dark shadow threatened to engulf the land. A tyrant,
emboldened by strange and ancient magic, calling himself the ‘High King’ was sweeping
through the lands drawing a line of blood wherever he went, building his own sporadic
kingdom of ash.

The Great War, as it came to be known, began in earnest upon the death of the Queen of
the land ruled by the Qiantis’ family, wherein her husband swore revenge on the tyrant
in the eyes of all the gods. He banded together the varying leaders of all the lands and he
painted the sky in ire and watered the soils of the land with the bloods of countless
soldiers. Eventually the leaders came together on the ield and in a iery blaze struck
the tyrant down where he stood. They grasped the essence of his very soul and ensured
his evil could never wreck such havoc again. These families swore fealty to the man who
had brought them together and promised to work together for the safety and security of
their collective until the end of their bloodline.

In the modern day the Empire is largely prosperous, mostly

landlocked nation which has a democratic government and
thriving aristocracy all sworn in fealty to the Imperial Qiantis
line. The Rozena Empire’s sigil is that of an obscured ive-
headed dragon clutching a sword, in reference to the great
families who aided in the establishment of the Empire and the
sword representing the ancestor of the Emperor, who swung the sword to take down the
preceding tyrant as a reminder of the value of cooperation and the bloodshed it took to
establish peace so long ago.

The Imperial Palace is situated on an astronomical

platform that is suspended in the sky, casting a great
shadow on the imperial city of Daanum below. The palace
is completely encapsulated above by a great dome which
allows the Imperial magicians to control the weather
within the sphere and create wonderous light shows and
spectacles for the Empire’s elite to enjoy. Some of the
more cynical among the consort candidates have referred
to this dome as a great glass prison – a greenhouse in
which they have trapped the most beautiful lowers the
Empire has to offer…

History of the Gala and the choosing of consort candidates

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 Since the irst head of the Qiantis family had lost his wife in the war, it was decided that
he would have a number of wives taken as consorts from the great Ducal families to give
him heirs and to show unity among their nations. As time went on (and it became clear
that they would need to diversify marriage prospects lest everyone’s family trees
become a little too entangled for comfort) the rules became more relaxed and it was
seen as a great honour to be chosen, even if one was not from the family line of the
Duchy itself . If a lesser noble from these places were chosen to be consort – they were
still considered to be representing the Duchy. Thus it came to pass that as a general
consensus – each territory would have some form of representation at court.

In its infancy this selection process was simple and democratic, individual territories
putting forward a single candidate of their own accord. However as the population of
the lands rebuilt themselves and more nobles became interested in seeing the selection
process themselves the whole affair took on a more festive atmosphere eventually
allowing a wider pool of candidates and evolving into a competition-style selection.
This selection process has since ballooned into a lavish celebratory event spanning
several days – now representing the aristocratic desire to come together in revelry.. The
Gala, as it came to be known is now meant for consort candidates to show their skills
and talents and prove not only their individual worthiness but also the excellence of
their homeland. Much time and energy goes into preparing the candidates though there
have never been any two Gala’s exactly the same… There have been balls, vast mazes,
battles of wit, tea parties and magic contests to name a few of note. Who knows what
might await you in this gilded garden…

Many use the modern gala as networking opportunities knowing full well that only
those of the most impeccable birth will realistically be in with a chance of being
Imperial Queen/King Consort. Do not underestimate the value in ingratiating yourself
with the one who may someday rule the whole world. As such cliques often form around
the most promising of the candidates and the wisest of the mid-tier nobles with no
prospects of their own will be found rubbing shoulders with them and clandestinely
raising the reputation and chances of their leaders from the shady edges of ballrooms.

In the last such Gala, seeking to ind a line-up of eligible women – the stars seemed to
align, as all of the major Ducal families had noble children of marriageable age able to
enter the consortium. However, your own Duchy, the Duchy of Bregalla was shunted
aside in favour of the much more lowly countdom of Lorentia (a family native to the
northern province of the territory of the Lavaruum family.) This was particularly strange
seeing as the Duchy of Lavaruum was already represented in the consort line-up by the
Duke of Lavaruum’s Daughter herself. To so publicly favour one Duchy and practically
abandon another was simply unheard of and hugely embarrassing for the noble
Daughter of Bregalla at the time. The slight was so great that your Duchy removed all
ambassadors from the court and entered an age of relative isolationism. You have for the
past twenty years had relatively little contact with the Imperial Capital and you have
been somewhat removed from politics – having had no representation in the Imperial
Court – either formal or informal. This makes you a relative unknown factor going into
this Gala’s festivities, who knows what you could do with such an advantageous position
– they may be eager to get on your good side after all this time. Or… perhaps too much
time has passed to cleanse this bad blood and you are too dangerous a wild card to bet
upon… (after all as they say better the enemy you know…)
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 The Imperial Family

The Imperial family are a line of half elves, so given their extended lifespans, despite the
capital celebration being the 1000th of the empire, this modern Imperial family is only
the tenth generation to sit the imperial throne. And although there is no longer anyone
who remembers the inception of the Empire in its fullness, there are citizens who
remember its early days and the irst hundred or so years of their rule. Some remember
this time more fondly than others…

Given their long lifespans an Emperor may go through several rounds of consorts. The
current Emperor, Malkeledich Olivier Qiantis II, is currently on only his irst round of
consorts. He himself was not the irst in line to be Emperor but outlived his elder
brothers and saw the anniversary as an opportunity to ind happiness for his children
and celebrate the Empire’s strength. He has in his tenure endured an attempted coup
and the murder of two of his children. He is a stern but solemn man, respected more
than feared. He is an accomplished swordsman with excellent posture. He seems to only
have a soft side for certain children of his and rarely smiles in open court. He has made
some questionable decisions during his reign and has garnered some serious critiques
on his internal policies but on the whole he is well-liked as an Emperor.

Important Families/ Society Layout

Ducal Families
Each of the following families used to be King’s within their own right, their
territories having their own monarchies and political systems but were named Dukes
and Duchesses in the aftermath of the Great War. They swore fealty to the Qiantis family
and agreed to demote themselves as thanks and to devote themselves to the protection
of their collective. Each family was given a key, carved from the bones of the slain great
tyrant and it was used in the early days to denote their fealty to the emperor and used to
show their status. They are now precious heirlooms passed down their family lines and
only those born into these families (such as yours) and those high up in government are
aware of the existence of these keys.
The Imperial family has general control over foreign affairs (with powers
external to the Empire) the allocation of resources to different areas within the empire
and inal say over law and order. Therefore, although the Ducal families have relative
control over their own territories and have maintained several ancestral rights they are
still very interested in maintaining strong bonds with the Empire for the betterment of
their homelands and to increase the power attributed to their bloodlines.

The Solaris Family

Owning the largest landmass that happens to border every other internal
territory in the Empire has had a great in luence on this where this family has
built their relative wealth. Although they are not the wealthiest in the Empire by
some margin (that crown goes to the Elmont’s and indeed a rivalry between
thrives to this day) The Solaris’s are responsible for a majority of the Empire’s
food production and resource distribution. Their vast transport networks and
investments into agriculture have been fundamental in the smooth running of
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 the Empire and they were crucial in providing for an transporting armies during
the Great War.
Due to their huge contributions both historically and to the Empire’s
modern infrastructure, the Solaris hold one of the most in luential seats of
political power with few who would dare question their authority. Previously the
Solaris provided ancestral bloodline for the Empire’s Prime Minister, though
since the Empire moved to be more democratic in its policies, the family stepped
back and ceded the role to lesser nobles elected by the aristocracy of the elected
kingdoms. This role is somewhat a sham nowadays as the Solaris family
undoubtably still have the primary attention in the ear of the Emperor, as they
maintain their position as chief advisors to the Empire allowing the Prime
Minister to deal with the paperwork in the parliaments while they conduct their
now technically unof icial running of the Imperial Court in person. Their primary
claim to fame at the moment is the Daughter of Duke Sasha Solaris, Ireena, is
currently the legally wedded wife and Imperial Empress of Rozena.

The Lavaruum Family

A somewhat disgraced family in the aftermath of the tragedy eight years
ago of their last consort Arabella losing her mind in grief and eventually her
position – their in luence has vastly waned in the past few years. Due to their
mountainous landscape, the land of Lavaruum is not only freezing cold, but also
habitable only in certain coalescences of space. Due to their expansive mining
network and greatly advanced technologies much of the in luence of this family
comes from their deep control over, and mass production of magic tools,
weapons and machinery. The Imperial Magic Academy resides within their
territory and is largely funded directly by them. Their research into magical uses
and application is unrivalled. Up to the modern day they are reasonably well-
respected – being entrusted by the Imperial Academy to complete a regular
symbolic ritual over the Imperial capital to ensure prosperity. They were of
course also pivotal to the war effort with their advanced resources. Little has
been heard from them as of late – but then who knows what they may be
planning to raise their in luence again?

The Elmont Family

Given that most of their territory is bordered by the sea it is unsurprising
that this is where they make their wealth. Trade and commerce are the main
exports of the Empire to their allies and the Elmonts ill the proverbial gaps in
trade that is otherwise covered by the Solaris family with whom they share a
mostly friendly rivalry with. The Elmonts are also the backbone of the building
industry throughout the empire having a variety of different stones and lumber
given their coastal landmass. The Elmont family are Selkies and may well be the
richest family in the entire Empire. The Empire has a vested interest in keeping
them happy due to their immense wealth and links external to the empire. It is a
good thing then that the next in line to the Imperial throne is none other than the
son of Consort Sophia Elmont. Being led by people deemed cunning and brave –
it is well known that the people of this land are fond of tricks and puzzles. This
land is also the most culturally rich – homing some of the most renowned artists,
theatres and confectioners. This is a popular escape for the aristocracy to
experience the upmost luxury with the bene it of a sea breeze.

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 YOU!!! (The Duchy of Bregalla)

You are a ducal family – the Bregallas. Most of the worldbuilding of your Duchy I
am going to leave in your very capable hands – what do you specialise in? How
big is your population – what is your relationship with your neighbours? – all
that in session zero methinks…
The things set in stone? You are the smallest landmass in the entirety of the Empire. You
aided the other leaders in the Great War and border the two biggest Ducal territories as
well as those external to the Empire. You also have links to the sea and are the third
wealthiest family in the Empire. The last time you were in attendance at a Gala you were
slighted very publicly, being the only Ducal family (and by extension territory) to be
completely unacknowledged in the consortium. Since then you have removed yourself
from the Imperial capital almost entirely leaving behind only the odd spy to keep
yourself a little in the know…

Other notable families

The Woodspires
An omikyri Viscounty family of very little consequence until very recently. They
ind their home in the forested western area of the Solaris territory. Their
proximity to nature and the Lavaruum territory has made them very adept with
magic as a bloodline but unlike their neighbours who focus on the mechanical
elements of magic, they tend to draw on the more whimsical hereditary magic
from their ancient fey roots. Their forests have been known to produce some of
the most potent magic users the academy has ever seen, though other than that
there is very little they have in the way of political in luence. That is of course,
apart from their newly elated daughter Noritia who currently holds the seat of
Consort.

The Lorentias
Hailing from the Duchy of Lavaruum – and historically sworn to their
Ducal Lord, this family is of relatively new importance – their having caused a
huge upset when they were propelled to the very peaks of political in luence with
the choosing of the Count Idem’s Daughter, Marla to take the place of consort
over the far more eligible Bregalla child. Her child is second in line to the
Imperial throne and she makes no attempt to conceal her efforts to propel him
further towards it. They are not particularly well-liked – either by their
Lavaruum Lords (as they did not speak in favour of the ex-consort during her
struggles following the deaths of her children) nor by the court at large who view
them widely as vain upstarts who launt power and wealth to a gaudy degree.
There are also whispers that their main sources of income are less than savoury
– they as a bloodline were known to frequent the shady corners of the magic
trade on behalf of their feudal lords during the Great War. In the modern age
their territory exists on the very edge of the empire and their main trade being
magic weapons – one cannot help but wonder whose shady hands have gotten
hold of what by their leave.

The Calgio Family

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 A relatively unimpressive Viscounty from the duchy of Elmont. The head of their
household currently hold the democratic seat of the Prime Minister as elected by
their aristocratic peers. Rumour has it, their daughter may join the fray of the
Gala this year…

The Political System of the Rozena Empire

There are several factions at play in the court:
- Those who support the First Prince (Elxian) and his claim to the throne
- Those who are close to the Second Prince and (although not openly) most likely
support his claim
- Those who are more neutral in taking sides politically (usually those who were
loyal to either the Bregalla or Lavaruum families, both of whom have been
slighted by the Emperor)
- Those completely loyal to individuals/ the Qiantis family itself and by extension
the Imperial bloodline above all else
- Those indentured to the Imperial Magic Academy – the primary arbiter of magic
and research

You would do well to discover where loyalties lie and tradition dies– after all you
have been absent from Court for some time…

Imperial Family Tree

Imperial Family NPC pro iles

Emperor Malkeledich Olivier Qiantis II

Known colloquially as “The Emperor/ Emperor Malkeledich”

Queen Irena Qiantis (nee. Solaris)

Consort of the Daffodil - A high-elven woman who
holds herself with the greatest of dignity, nary a more regal
face exists in the empire. She is classy to perfection and
holds her children to the highest standards as the ‘true’

 bloodline of the Empire. Married to the Emperor in their youth as the eldest daughter of
one of the most important ducal families, their marriage has always been one of respect,
if not passionate love. Though she wears a tight mask of regal indifference she is quietly
desperate to please and even more so to win his love: maids have stated she was frankly
inconsolable when not one, but two other consorts bore him children ahead of her.
Courtiers have quietly noticed too that she is particularly harsh on her daughter
Princess Rosalia – both for not being born a son but also in order to help her maintain
her position as the First Princess (and therefore most eligible bachelorette in the world)
– she loves her daughter and is not entirely cold to her – but she certainly devotes more
attention to her sons. She is often inaccessible to most of the Court, only appearing at
the side of the emperor and to mind her children.
{Rumour has it our Imperial Queen has quite the inferiority complex and fears the
Emperor has never quite returned her affections and thus can be very easily goaded in
matters concerning him and her daughter…}

Consort Sophia Elmont

Consort of the Bluebell- Beautiful, calculating and
con ident. Assured of her station in life as irst daughter
of the in luential and powerful Elmont family and
immensely proud of her only son – the Crown Prince
Elxian. She loves her son and treats him well but is part
of the problem in putting expectations on his back.
Rumoured to be a sneaky favourite bedpartner of the
Emperor, this Selkie woman is a force to be reckoned
with politically. She gives off a playful demeanour, but she
is one of the cleverest people at the court and therefore
potentially one of the most dangerous. She has a
courteous relationship with the Queen Consort (much better than either has with Marla
Lorentia at the very least) though both are hyper aware of the prowess of the other.
{It is an open secret that Sophia’s favourite pastime is busying herself building her son’s
support system and future court in the shadows and the hushed corners of these lavish
ballrooms. Be this through marriage pacts or something more sinister? Who knows but those
shadowy hands shaking in corners…}

Consort Marla Lorentia

Consort of the Hibiscus - Vastly disliked within the
court high and low for her standof ish nature, tendency to
look down on people and gaudy decadence, Marla is not what
you would call a congenial member of the Imperial family. In
truth the Lorentia family is decidedly lower ranked than her
consort peers and it was a shock when she, the daughter of a
count was chosen as consort over some of the more
in luential Ducal families (YOU!!!). This strange choice
combined with dubious nature of the provenance of her
family’s wealth led to no one truly trusting her or her
overbearing father who made himself a staple at court almost
immediately. Given that her son is second in line to the Imperial throne it is hardly
dif icult to guess where her political efforts lie and the recent rise of a faction in support
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 of her son is for now sequestered to the edge of ballrooms. The scales of power have
tipped in her favour before however and there is the sense that she always has
something up her sleeve. She is after all a woman who outwardly makes it known she
will claw and crawl her way to the seat of power at any cost. {There are so many
unsavoury rumours about this woman one hardly knows where to start. The one notable point
of interest however, is her abduction ive years ago. She was snatched from the walls of the
Imperial Palace and was returned six months later after a ransom was paid, seemingly rattled
but otherwise ine. What an odd thing to have occurred in a castle in the sky…}

Consort Noritia Woodspire

Consort of the Lotus - Brought into the Imperial Palace just over a two years ago
to replace the unfortunate and tragic Arabella Lavaruum. She is a beautiful Omikyri
(deerfolk with fey lineage) woman with soft brown skin and a pair of delicate antlers.
She is soft spoken and tends to keep to herself in terms
of politics. She is also noticeably younger and more
inexperienced than her peer consorts, possibly due to
the fact no one ever expected her to be elevated to her
most venerable position. Her family is vastly more low-
ranking than her peers also, the Woodspires having
been advisors and ladies in waiting to the Solaris
Family for some generations. This inexperience leaves
her somewhat vulnerable in this viper’s nest with few
allies and no notable in luence she is content to spend
her days mostly alone in the gardens, learning
common in the libraries or with her daughter Princess
Lucrezia– whom she adores. She is considered to be of
very little threat, primarily because her daughter will almost certainly never inherit the
imperial throne.
{Rumour has it she is very lonely and such a weakness means she may be potentially very easy
for the wrong person to manipulate…}

Ex-consort Arabella Lavarum

Ex-consort of the Lotus - Once the most dazzling
gem in the Court; a Tie ling beauty without compare,
daughter to one of the previous Emperor’s chief
advisors, politically savvy with a wicked tongue, said to be
a favourite companion of the emperor and mother to two
of his children. In short, she had it all. However, upon the
murder of her daughter and son eight years ago now, it is
said she went mad with grief. Advisors and maids
whisper of a tragic scene upon which the Consort
happened upon the bloodied bodies of her two children and
the staff entered to ind her shrieking, clutching them with such ferocity she soaked her
own gown in their spilled blood. The Imperial Court failed to ind the culprit and she
was deemed unable to perform her duties as consort after a somewhat murky incident
in which she went into a rage brandishing a poisoned knife at his imperial highness. Not
much is known what happened in the annals of the Imperial Palace, only that she was
announced to be retired and sent home for the sake of her health and was eventually
replaced by the docile and beautiful Noritia Woodspire from a surprisingly low-ranking
family.

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{Rumour states Arabella has not once been seen in her homeland since her retirement so one
can only speculate what truly happened to her or where she may have ended up…}

Imperial Children

Crown Prince Elxian Qiantis

Son of Sophia Elmont, Consort of the Bluebell, he was gifted
with the name Qiantis upon his birth as male heir (despite
not being born to the Queen Consort) He is the next in line
for the throne. Known widely as dashing and kindly, just as a
future Emperor should be. He has had a lifetime of pressure
and expectations put upon him from every angle. His
mother is kind but ambitious in her own right and he spent
his childhood dodging assassins and the icy smiles of the
mothers of his half-siblings. He is the perfect son, a skilled
swordsman, a wit like his mother and diplomat to the
politicians he is forced to smile for. Broad shoulders with the weight of the world
upon him. Courtiers note his close-knit inner circle - he has very few people he truly
trusts and seems to desperately wish he could form some bond with his siblings – he
has an especially soft spot for Rosalia – who has always pushed him away as she has
tried desperately to stand just as tall as him. {There is a hushed notion that he has a
secret love for sweet things and the rumour mill betrays his wishes to devote more time to
his passions – such as reading and baking. How unbecoming for our future leader…}

Prince Malkeledich Olivier Lorentia

Second Prince and second in line to the throne.
Somewhat brazenly named by his mother exactly
after his father Prince Malkus, as he is called in
Court, is about as well liked as his mother. He is
competitive to a fault – particularly with his elder
brother, though notably only ever grasps second
place. Apparently, his role as ‘The Spare” weighs
heavily on him as he is often seen with a bloodied
lip, presumably from clenching his teeth in anger as
he prowls at the edges of ballrooms. He takes after
his mother in looks which unfortunately makes him
rather unapproachable made worse by the ever-present scowl on his lips.
Though perhaps the court is too hasty to cast aspersion on this young man. He is
reasonably capable and has been charged with brokering several trade deals
with forces external to the Empire that have turned out very well for the Imperial
Court. He is after all our future ruler should the worst happen to the beloved
Prince Elxian, though only gods can say whether that most unholy of
circumstance should come to pass…
{There is a rumour that he often disappears from the great imperial palace and has been
sometimes spotted, cloak donned, in the sprawling city of Daanum far below. Though truly it
is anyone’s guess what he gets up to in the back alleys…}

Princess Rosalia Denari Qiantis

 The irst Princess of the Empire and the most eligible

bachelorette in all the lands. Named by the Emperor
himself at her birth, a huge honour to be named not only
by him personally but also after the Empire, she shares the
golden eyes of her father and the stark white hair of her
mother. A young woman driven by duty and honour she
works tirelessly to become the perfect princess. The model
of beauty, grace, strength and poise hers is a life lived
trying to prove her worth to those around her – she is
known widely to have the love of all the servants if not her
blood family. She is never seen far from the company of her loyal sworn sword
Setna, a spry athletic curl of a man, knight to his princess until he ceases to draw
breath. She is said to be glued to her studies in the day either in the libraries or
ballrooms. {Though one would never wish to cast aspersion on the Princess, and indeed
doing so could be treasonous at best - there is a nasty rumour loating around that she
is often not found in her room at night and her personal staff are very evasive in
answering where she goes when the sun goes down…}

Prince Diamantis Qiantis and Prince Caspar Qiantis

Twin Princes and younger full brothers to the irst princess Rosalia, these two
troublesome twins are known to be absolute menaces within the crystalline
walls of the Imperial palace. If there is some unexplained prank or missing
sweets many members of the inner court will innately know who is responsible.
These thirteen-year-old boys are both talented with magic and smart enough to
know it. Given the soft approach of their mother to their discipline and distinct
lack of the word ‘no’ being present in their childhoods it is unsurprising that
these boys have very little concept of boundaries. Indeed, it is only their father
who can quiet them with a look from atop his throne. Diamantis can often be
heard insisting he is the more mature of the two given his seven-minute head
start into the world over his brother, to which Caspar will often respond he is the
true brains to their operations. It is nothing short of a miracle of public relations
that the two princes have been marketed as rambunctious and lovable rather
than the unapologetic terrors they truly are, especially given the amount of havoc
they are liable to wreck on the court at any given time.
{It is said that if there are any secrets in the palace, these boys will surely have
discovered them before long. Indeed, the speed they often seem to disappear and
reappear, is just like magic…}

Princess Lucrezia Meanari Woodspire

The youngest imperial child by some margin. She is only a year old at the
beginning of the campaign as her mother, Nortitia Woodspire, was only brought
in as consort two years prior. She is a half elf, half omikyri. She takes after her
mother in looks and has a tiny, beautiful pair of stubby baby antlers.
[what rumours do you think I could possibly have for you about a one year old? Even I’m not
that demented…]

Princess Lavinnia Lavarum and Prince Lorrican Lavarum (deceased)

The unfortunately deceased children of the former consort Arabella Lavaruum.
The princess was known to be clever and kind and adoring of her brother who
was often found playing at her side. They were both regarded as among the
brightest stars of the young royals. The young princess was a lover of mythology
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 and history, and her brother was fascinated with everything mathematical –
loving especially the art of engineering. The two of them were discovered beaten
and bloodied by their mother who famously went mad with grief upon seeing
them. Their murderer was never found and their unresolved deaths remains one
of the darkest stains on the Empire’s bright history. At the time of their deaths
the Princess and Prince were 14 and 10 respectively.
[what is most chilling about this story however is that on the eve of their state funerals their
bodies went missing…No one ever found them and the Imperial family did their best to stop
this nugget of information going public…but really who would steal the body of a child? ]

Children Listed in Order of Succession

- Prince Elxian
- Prince Malkus
- Prince Lorrican (deceased)
- Prince Diamantis
- Prince Caspar
- Princess Rosalia
- Princess Lavinnia (deceased)
- Princess Lucrezia

Children listed in Order of Age

- Crown Prince Elxian – age 26
- Prince Malkus – age 25
- Princess Rosalia – age 24
- Princess Lavinnia (deceased) – age 14 upon death 8 years ago
- Prince Lorrican (deceased)- age 10 upon death 8 years ago
- Prince Diamantis – age 13
- Prince Caspar – age 13
- Princess Lucrezia – age 1

Just for timeline reasons – the prince and princess were murdered eight years ago, there
was a six-year gap where there were only three consorts. Then Noritia was brought in two
years ago and now has a one year old daughter at the present day.

CHARACTERS
Lords and Ladies Chart (Hierarchy and how to refer to them)
You won’t be penalised in-game if you use these wrongly – hell I probably won’t remember them but it’s just a bit of fun –
please feel free to snap a title for yourself and I will ham it up in-game ;) The importance goes from left to right so the
Queen Consort outranks the crown prince but they are on a similar level and have the same form of Address.

Title Title How to refer to them

Emperor Imperial Majesty
Queen Consort/ Imperial Crown Prince/Princess Imperial Excellency
Empress
Imperial Prince Imperial Princess Imperial Highness
Consort Highness
King Queen Majesty

 Prince Princess Highness

Duke Duchess His/ Her Grace
Marquis Marquise Right Honourable
Count Countess Excellency
Viscount Viscountess Viscount/ Viscountess
Baron Baroness Sir/ Lady
Lord Lady Lord/Lady
Knight Knight Ser/ Lady Ser

General NPC guide

Information to be added and updated as you come across them!!!

Courtesans
Duke Sasha Solaris – hand of the king (for all intents and purposes functions as a court
Prime Minister)
The Prime Minister – Dorink Calgio
Count Idem Lorentia – Father to the Consort of the Hibiscus
Nickolas Nackolas
Jirnithin
Count Man of the noble house of Wha

Notable Court Staff

Jonah Raine
Ayana Raine
Setna – Sworn Sword of the Princess Rosalia, from the Order of the Lilywhites
Chief court Alchemist
Court Alchemist
Chief Herbalist
Captain of the Guards (The Lilywhites)

Consort Candidates
Elianna Asheborne
Ru ianna Lavaruum
Marina Elmont
Clary Nerris
Colette Leagreen
Eda Calgio
Edmund Zairinthe
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 ~MAPS~
Map of the Empire
Unfortunately I’m dumb and can’t get the PDF to become a feckin’ picture so I’ve pinned
it on the Discord and added it to the Google Drive

Palace Maps

I will give you battle maps and reference images for the places you go an interact with as
you come across them – they will appear on the Discord channel (and hopefully here when
I remember to move them over!!!)