MONARCHIES OF SOUTHGATE
Monarchic rule in Southgate goes back
to -92 A.R., when the Warlord Vyros Shaan
conquered the city. He founded the royal House
of Shaan, crowned himself as the first king of
Southgate and thus instituted the Shaanite
dynasty. This first dynasty remains legend to this day, the early
monarchs of the House of Shaan constituting a veritable list of
heroes, vilains and tragedies, namely: Vyros The
Conqueror (-92 to -74; First king); Tharos
The Warrior-King (-75 to -41; son of Vyros;
known for ridding the lands of orcs and goblins; poisoned by his
son); Tharos II The Warmonger
(-41 to -37; son of Tharos the First; died in battle in his bid
to conquer Oaklarand); Vyros
II The Elfriend (-37 to -3; nefew of Tharos the
First; enlightened, wise and peaceful); Gwenaele
The Paladin-Queen (-3 to 43; most famous of the
House of Shaan; daughter of Vyros II; quintessential heroic, wise
and kind leader); and Zaroun The Ill-Fated
(43 to 50; son of Gwenaele; death by unatural disease).
Thus, the Shaanite dynasty lasted a little less than 150 years,
ending with Zaroun. Monarchic rule was also interrupted with the
passing of Zaroun, when his wife Anlara Tyrane
(known as The Dark Majestrix
and presumed murderess of Zaroun) proclaimed herself as the first
Magiarch of Southgate. The era
of Magiarchs spanned the years 51 to 432 A.R., ending with Gaele
Magnus (The Restoratrix),
who abdicated willingly after ruling for 10 years in order to
restore monarchic rule in Southgate.
Pharaos Nelanthyr was
designated by Magiarch Gaele to be crowned as king in 432, having
been demonstrated of being a descendant of the old House of
Shaan. Thus the House of Nelanthyr
was founded and the Nelanthian
dynasty was instituted. This dynasty is the most lasting,
spanning nearly 400 years. The House of Nelanthyr is largely
characterized by caring, wise and most competent rulers, such as Pharaos
The Lightbringer (432 to 466; first nelanthian
king); Amoen The Beloved Queen
(466 to 509); Pharaos II The Dwarvenfriend
(509 to 541); Pharolar The Philosopher-King
(541 to 593); Amuriel The Knight-Queen
(593 to 626); Amoen II The Scholar-Queen
(626 to 647); Pharaos III The Merchant-King (647
to 699; nephew of Amoen II); and Zaroun II The
Administrator (699 to 753; son of Pharaos III).
This long list of enlightened and capable monarchs sours
drastically with the ascension of Gwenaele II
The Spoiled Queen (753 to 785; daughter of
Zaroun III), followed by Pharaos IV The Sloth
(785 to 800; son of Gwenaele II).
Pharaos IV's incompetence and lazyness prompted his cousin Archyron
Issar to assasinate him and take his place as
king Archyron the First. Thus
the noble House of Issar rose
to power and the Archyrim
dynasty was instituted. This dynasty is infamous for producing
the cruellest and most brutal monarchs of Southgate. Lasting a
little less than 9 decades, the archyrim monarchs are also known
for their violent deaths. Hence, Archyron
(a.k.a The Usurper; 800 to
822) was assassinated by his son Archandrek (a.k.a
The Despot; 822 to 849), who
was in turn poisoned by his daughter Archylara
(a.k.a. The Ice Queen; 849 to
881), who in turned died of unatural disease in her old age at
the behest of her son, Archyron II
(a.k.a. The Sadist; 881 to
887).
Archyron II's fate was equally violent in the end, being forcibly
deposed in 887 A.R. by the general Damaran Vyron
(a.k.a. The Purger) to be
judged and publicly executed. General Vyron became the first of
the Lord Protectors of
Southgate (887 to 935). This era ended with the assassination of Lady
Shandralyl Jade (a.k.a. The
Blade Mistress) by Hiren
Dalamn (a.ka. The Profiteer),
who proclaimed himself as the first Merchant
Lord of Southgate.
The era of Merchant Lords spanned the years 935 to 1041 A.R.,
ending with Talgos Myrcrest (a.k.a.
The Fat Lord) who was slain in
a coup spearheaded by the general Jharan Dess
(a.k.a The Tyrant), who in
turn proclaimed himself as Lord Protector. This second era of
Lord Protectors spanned the years 1041 to 1102 A.R.. The tyranny
of Dess met a violent end in 1066 at the hands of the heroic
crusader Farras Nelanth
(a.k.a. The Paladinson), who
ruled as the last Lord Protector until his natural death in 1102.
Of note is the fact that Lord Farras was a direct descendant of
the Nelanthian dynasty and thus had a legitimate right to restore
monarchic rule and claim the crown. Instead, he applied himself
at restoring prosperity and good living in the city, and is
thought to have instituted the rule of the Four
Lords - which, incidentally, began the very day
after his passing.
Hence, it would seem that the rule of Southgate by dynastic
monarchy truly ended with Farras Nelanth's refusal to restore it
- although many suspect to this day that the position of High
Lord is in fact the equivalent a monarch's, and thus subjected to
ascension by descendants of Farras' blood (and consequently of a
possibly restored Nelanthian dynasty).
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