Eudicia

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Eudicia

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In the Year 1498 a blood mage known only as Nameless performed a blood ritual to commune with the dead, particularly a woman by the name of Gladae who was suspected to be connected with the mysterious disappearances of Estwynd citizens. The results gave the name of an organization held responsible: Eudicia. It was the first time the High Queen and her Aegis had ever heard of the organization, and it is still unclear just how many comprise its member. Though there is one certainty, for they are skilled and meticulous and their victims are only ever found if they wish it to be. And that has them quite frightened.

Eudicia is suspected to watch their prey to learn their daily routines to know when best to strike. They leave their calling card as a warning of their coming by way of a pointed flower drawn on parchment. From that point the victims are marked, and within a few days they disappear. Those who return are broken of mind and body, and while they may be able to function well enough to continue about their duties and work, they cannot seem to speak of where they had been.

High Queen Jashyr and her counsel of Kings and Queens of Estwynd unanimously agreed to request aid from Maldvir in hopes to rule out Shadow Magic. While Magic was not common in Estwynd due to the population being comprised entirely of humans, they had also outlawed magic of any sort apart from Blood Magic so as to keep the peace more easily. It was not uncommon for citizens to become curious into the unnatural magic of Shadow, but they were always met with swift judgement by the Aegis. Elven immigrants were forbidden to use their magic with threats of death or deportation, and so it was a rare sight to see pointed ears, and they were often met with distaste. A fear of magic grew within the society of Estwynd spanning over decades even before Queen Jashyr's reign.

Eudicia remains a mystery and an ever growing threat. The request to Maldvir has only just been sent and therefore it would be months before they would hear back or garner a visit from a practitioner of Inner Light. The High Queen's Aegis continue their investigation into the Eudicia and find that they are centralized within Thol. Citizens of Estwynd have not been notified of the threat by name, though they have advised anyone who receives an insignia to seek out an Official to escort them to the palace for sanctuary and protection.

So far no one has come forward with their marks, yet people still disappear.

 

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Blacksmiths

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Most professions in Estwynd operate under a Guild that spans across the four kingdoms. They are designed to insure sound trading and negate cutthroat competition to suit the economy and its needs. Blacksmiths in the past three decades have garnered such notoriety within their Guild that they are among the most infamous and cause skepticism and investigation into the other existing guilds within the market.

In the year 1471 of the First Era, a scandal was revealed by the Aegis from within the Blacksmith's Guild. Almost every member was guilty and charged with human trafficking in an underground business that sold young women for sex. Patrons of smiths would seemingly buy various equipment from their local smithies only to purchase from an offhand market. They hosted parties in secret to expand their black market business until their operation was quickly halted.

Once their nefarious dealings were revealed to the public, all blacksmiths were shunned even if innocent to the ongoings of their Guild. There were sadly too few who truly did not know, and citizens called them lairs while still buying their wares. The profession became the brunt of jokes and the mark of contempt in the coming decades. Those who used to smith quickly found a new line of work, and thus the profession became rare. No one wanted to become or be a blacksmith in Estwynd which began a significant weakness in the kingdoms' army.

The Blacksmith's Guild was completely dissolved, and by the year 1498 the only official working blacksmiths were carefully selected and worked within each major city to provide plate armor and weaponry to the Aegis and Armies. This also brought about a rise in the surname NeSmith.

 

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Unique Professions of Estwynd

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Having been without Magic to rely on for centuries, Estwynd is arguably the most advanced society in the world. From their government to their clockwork engineering, this land of humans has expanded in wealth, but they are guarded in their lifestyle and choose to close themselves off from much trade outside of their own kind. Here are some professions unique to Estwynd:

Senator – These are government officials that are voted by the people to represent the people. They hold forums and meetings to decipher and decide what the people of Estwynd want and are responsible for relaying such things to the Kings and Queens so they may be considered before the High Queen.

The Kings and Queens – Each kingdom has their own king or queen voted into temporary rule by the people for a ten year reign. They operate under the High King or Queen as counsel. They cannot be re elected.

High King or Queen – This is the one ruler above everything in Estwynd. They are voted into a life term by the people and are typically chosen by merits and notoriety within the society.

Aegis – Considered elites, these are hand picked soldiers from the Armies to become the personal guardsmen and knights of the High King or Queen. They serve typically until their deaths, though some make it to retirement. These men and women often investigate heinous crimes against Estwynd and protect the High King or Queen.

Clockmaker – While the profession began as those who made clocks, these crafty individuals engineer a lot of useful machinery such as the printing press, trolleys, textile machinery, storm coils, agricultural machines, and their own style of airships. They are the people responsible for discovering how to harness, generate, and contain electricity.

Blood Mage – Weilders of the unnatural magic known as Blood Magic are unique to Estwynd and no one fully understands why. They are highly regarded and employed under the kings and queens in service to their nation. They are few in number, likely only spanning around one hundred across all of Estwynd in 1498. Their life spans are shorter than most, typically dying of natural causes by the age of 50.

Gryphon Tamer – Gryphons are native to Estwynd and one of the preferred methods of travel for the wealthier citizens. Being wild animals, these beasts need experts to train them to be just as obedient as a horse, and after a century of exploration into domestication, Gryphon Tamers are on demand. They require specific care and knowledge to which only those of Estwynd seem to figure out.

 

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Recent News

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• The year is 1498 of the First Era, Season of Spring.
• Airship Travel at a Halt - Season of Winter, 1498 - Airships are a major mode of transportation for both citizens and products. An airship crashed within the Winded Woods, and eye witness accounts from Sabletyn suggests there was foul play involved. A team of Aegis were sent out to investigate but have yet to return. High Queen Jashyr has put a halt on airship travel until the case can be properly investigated.
• Mysterious Disappearances - for the past decade, disappearances have been on the rise. Most dismissed it as the Blood Mage Awakening, or rather those pulled into the afterlife and never make it out. It was not until the Season of Winter, 1497, that the first man returned from their disappearance, and he did not return a Blood Mage. Instead, he returned with a broken mind and a small note with a flowered insignia drawn upon it in dark ink. It is now the mark of someone to be taken, for when someone receives a similar note, it is only a matter of time before they disappear.
• Sabletyn Plague - Season of Autumn, 1497 - A violent plague has quarantined several villages in Sabletyn. It is an upper respiratory disease that starts with a sore throat and fever. Fatigue, chills, discoloration of the skin, headaches, and difficulty breathing are among the common signs. Eventually, the neck swells where eventually the victim tends to suffocate.
• The Murder of Senator Caudius - Season of Spring, 1497 - a year ago, Senator Caudius of Ecksoh was brutally murdered by an angry mob after a Senate Session in Ecksoh. Those responsible have been imprisoned and still await trial. Because of the act, citizens are no longer allowed to attend Senate Sessions and must rely on Public Forums to connect with the government.
• The Murder of Gladae Malphest - Season of Winter, 1485 - Gladae Malphest, an esteemed Blood Mage, was murdered by her pupil, legally known as Nameless. Nameless stood trial and was found guilty, though instead of sentencing the Blood Mage to death, the High Queen decreed that she spend the rest of her days in exile within the Winded Woods. It was a common practice to exile criminals within the Winded Woods, especially if the crime were not too extreme. Some consider it a punishment more severe than the noose, but some feel the High Queen was being soft on the Blood Mage.
• The Return of Nameless - Season of Spring, 1498 - With the uprising of kidnappings made apparent by the drawn insignia of an unknown organization, the High Queen reluctantly called upon Nameless to be returned to Redden, Thol. This is only due to a correlation between Gladae's death and the mysterious insignias. The High Queen tried to get another Blood Mage to perform the Blood Ritual to commune with Gladae's spirit, but those that did were ripped into the Afterlife, and the rest refused. High Queen Jashyr was forced to bring Nameless out of her exile, and so Nameless performed the ritual and returned with the name of their oppressors: Eudicia. It is not public knowledge, as Festivallas is underway.
• Festivallas - Season of Spring, annual - Festivallas is a week long event held within the major cities of Estwynd to mark the end of Spring and herald the coming of Summer. It's designed to bring about a good crop for Harvest through merriment and promote trade among the kingdoms as merchants and traders are encouraged to sell their goods outside of their home kingdom. Each night typically has a different themed party with the last night ending with fireworks. The last night is always the last day of Spring.