A History of High Heart
B.A. = Before Adeodatus, A.E.D. = After Elder Drakes
Ancient Times [??? B.A.]
War of the Immortal Sun Queen [205 - 213 A.E.D.]
Conquest of Padwell [377 A.E.D.]
Padwell’s Rebellion [459 - 494 A.E.D.]
Modern Day [503 A.E.D Onwards]
War of the Immortal Sun Queen [205 - 213 A.E.D.]
Conquest of Padwell [377 A.E.D.]
Padwell’s Rebellion [459 - 494 A.E.D.]
Modern Day [503 A.E.D Onwards]
Ancient Times[??? B.A.]
Events in High Heart before the modern era.
The hill tribes have inhabited the Sunflecked Reaches for thousands of years if old tales are to be believed, ever since the Mountain Queen, lonely and isolated, decided to create her own life to inhabit the lands.
She created eight groups of people, the first Perhes, from the rain and stone. To each, she gave a unique gift to set them apart from their kin. To those of Mieli she added some of her very thoughts; Ilma the glittering ice of mountain glaciers; Ukkonen a flash of captured lightning; Rohkeutta a drop of her own blood; Tähdet the wandering starlight; Korkeus a piece of her soul; Höyhen the bark of the oldest tree; and to the mysterious Eighth Perhe, a portion of the Blood of the Realm itself.
For a time, she was happy watching these new peoples explore her lands. But they quickly became cruel and ruthless. Hostile to eachother when they were meant to be eight siblings, not eight enemies. So the Mountain Queen came again and crafted a creature from the very winds themselves, the griffons, and released them into the world to test the very hearts and souls of humanity.
Some were found wanting in High Heart, but many tamed and befriended the new creatures, and the griffon-riding tradition of their people was born. Still, they were wary of each other and clashed every few generations. The Mountain Queen valued the strength it took to survive such battles, but still viewed her children’s fights with disdain.
After a deadly battle between all eight Perhe, the Mountain Queen herself appeared in the form of an immense griffon, summoning a great storm to speak in the voices of wind and thunder. She told them that they were siblings, and that to fight and harm each other was a horrible crime; they needed to set aside their differences and be a family once more. To start, they needed a leader to mediate.
The Mountain Queen set out nine Trials for them to complete to choose a mediator. The First merely to judge that one was physically able to travel Perhe to Perhe to do their job. The Second to test their leadership. The Third evaluated their intellect and problem-solving skills. The Fourth their spiritual connection to the land and herself. The Fifth to teach them empathy and humility. The Sixth to remind them that the members of the other Perhes were their family. The Seventh to test their sense of right and wrong. The Eighth to make sure they understood the value of the older generation’s wisdom, and to experience a little of what they would face when they were that way. And the Ninth Trial of the heart… a Trial whose purpose she kept a mystery to all but herself.
The Mountain Queen watched over the First Trials herself to choose a Sovereign of High Heart, but told them that, in the future, their Perhe councils would be responsible for interpreting her will and choosing the right candidate to lead.
Since then, although many of the Perhes have rivalries with each other, there has been no fighting between the people of High Heart.
Sometime after this, the first Padwellans left High Heart for the western swamps and found acceptance with the Marsh King, who had previously despised humankind and fought them when they attempted to explore his domain. Although their cultures have drifted somewhat, they remain close to this day and view each other as ‘sibling cultures’.
During the reign of the Elder Drakes, the people of Padwell and High Heart fought together; old legends in the mountains say that the people of the Eighth Perhe adorned themselves with the Blood of the Realm to become great falcons to fight the encroaching tyrants. Whatever the actual means, they were successfully able to resist the beasts, and survived the period before Adeodatus untouched by their rule.
In the period that followed, the Eighth Perhe dwindled in number, and they dispersed among the other seven Perhe before fading entirely into history. Its name is forgotten along with the truth of their mysterious tattoos, which were said to glow with the brilliance of sunlight under the right circumstances.
When the Night of the Red Moons came and passed, much like Padwell, High Heart was untouched by Adeodatus’ empire. Oral tradition in Korkeus Perhe holds that the moonviper took refuge in High Heart and Padwell with Empress Kevyt Loistava of Korkeus and Queen Taika Padwell before they had a falling out. According to the tale, Adeodatus trespassed into the Plunge, attempted to ‘drink of the Blood of the Realm’, and was exiled for defiling sacred ground in such a way.
She created eight groups of people, the first Perhes, from the rain and stone. To each, she gave a unique gift to set them apart from their kin. To those of Mieli she added some of her very thoughts; Ilma the glittering ice of mountain glaciers; Ukkonen a flash of captured lightning; Rohkeutta a drop of her own blood; Tähdet the wandering starlight; Korkeus a piece of her soul; Höyhen the bark of the oldest tree; and to the mysterious Eighth Perhe, a portion of the Blood of the Realm itself.
For a time, she was happy watching these new peoples explore her lands. But they quickly became cruel and ruthless. Hostile to eachother when they were meant to be eight siblings, not eight enemies. So the Mountain Queen came again and crafted a creature from the very winds themselves, the griffons, and released them into the world to test the very hearts and souls of humanity.
Some were found wanting in High Heart, but many tamed and befriended the new creatures, and the griffon-riding tradition of their people was born. Still, they were wary of each other and clashed every few generations. The Mountain Queen valued the strength it took to survive such battles, but still viewed her children’s fights with disdain.
After a deadly battle between all eight Perhe, the Mountain Queen herself appeared in the form of an immense griffon, summoning a great storm to speak in the voices of wind and thunder. She told them that they were siblings, and that to fight and harm each other was a horrible crime; they needed to set aside their differences and be a family once more. To start, they needed a leader to mediate.
The Mountain Queen set out nine Trials for them to complete to choose a mediator. The First merely to judge that one was physically able to travel Perhe to Perhe to do their job. The Second to test their leadership. The Third evaluated their intellect and problem-solving skills. The Fourth their spiritual connection to the land and herself. The Fifth to teach them empathy and humility. The Sixth to remind them that the members of the other Perhes were their family. The Seventh to test their sense of right and wrong. The Eighth to make sure they understood the value of the older generation’s wisdom, and to experience a little of what they would face when they were that way. And the Ninth Trial of the heart… a Trial whose purpose she kept a mystery to all but herself.
The Mountain Queen watched over the First Trials herself to choose a Sovereign of High Heart, but told them that, in the future, their Perhe councils would be responsible for interpreting her will and choosing the right candidate to lead.
Since then, although many of the Perhes have rivalries with each other, there has been no fighting between the people of High Heart.
Sometime after this, the first Padwellans left High Heart for the western swamps and found acceptance with the Marsh King, who had previously despised humankind and fought them when they attempted to explore his domain. Although their cultures have drifted somewhat, they remain close to this day and view each other as ‘sibling cultures’.
During the reign of the Elder Drakes, the people of Padwell and High Heart fought together; old legends in the mountains say that the people of the Eighth Perhe adorned themselves with the Blood of the Realm to become great falcons to fight the encroaching tyrants. Whatever the actual means, they were successfully able to resist the beasts, and survived the period before Adeodatus untouched by their rule.
In the period that followed, the Eighth Perhe dwindled in number, and they dispersed among the other seven Perhe before fading entirely into history. Its name is forgotten along with the truth of their mysterious tattoos, which were said to glow with the brilliance of sunlight under the right circumstances.
When the Night of the Red Moons came and passed, much like Padwell, High Heart was untouched by Adeodatus’ empire. Oral tradition in Korkeus Perhe holds that the moonviper took refuge in High Heart and Padwell with Empress Kevyt Loistava of Korkeus and Queen Taika Padwell before they had a falling out. According to the tale, Adeodatus trespassed into the Plunge, attempted to ‘drink of the Blood of the Realm’, and was exiled for defiling sacred ground in such a way.
War of the Immortal Sun Queen[205 - 213 A.E.D.]
A long-ago conflict between High Heart and the sundrakes.
In the middling years of the second century, the sundrake’s monarchy experienced… an interesting shift. The ad Meliora family had ruled for decades, ever since Adeodatus stepped down for Queen Aubade, but had recently fallen upon misfortune.
Queen Chaophraya ad Meliora came into power in 155 A.E.D, and shortly after came the mysterious deaths and disappearances of the others of her dynasty. Although obviously there were a great many rumours about what might have befallen them, no one knew for sure exactly what had occurred. Chaophraya was already ninety years old at the time and sought out the services of a Necromancer - publicly - from Meros named Iraklis Agni Jericho Almássy. Necromancy had been outlawed since the time of Adeodatus, but Chaophrya said that surely there were acceptable applications of the ability, such as for the last queen of an old, powerful dynasty so that she might live long enough to have an heir?
That was her claim at first. As the years crept on and she did not seem at all interested in finding a spouse, and Agni continued to use executed common criminals to reduce her age and refine her appearance, both her court and her neighbours grew increasingly concerned. She ignored such concerns and continued to govern unbothered.
Emperor Liekki Kehotus of Rohkeutta came to power in 182 and expressed his people’s concern to Chaophraya about her open support for necromancy. She assured him that there was nothing to be worried about, and for a time, he accepted her word on that for the time being.
Until in 204 A.E.D, Chaophraya crossed a line. A young Harvest Mage, Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma, was travelling through eastern Rohkeutta Perhe territory, blessing the fields as they were planting - the only time such magic was used in High Heart - when they and their friends were set upon by sundrake soldiers. Oksa was taken and two of their companions killed, but one managed to escape to Falcon’s Landing to bring news of what had happened.
Liekki could guess the reason for the kidnapping; Agni, Chaophraya’s current Necromancer, was getting old. It appeared she intended for Oksa to be a replacement. He sent a missive to the Sunlit City with an ultimatum; if Oksa was not returned before the end of the year, he would take his people to war.
He received no response, and in 205 A.E.D, Liekki gathered the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and flew east.
What followed was at once a war between the sundrakes and High Heart, as well as a civil war between the Chaophraya and many of her people who found her use of Necromancy to prolong her youth unnerving. The common folk, in particular, flocked to Liekki’s side; in recent years, Chaophraya had made the penalties for laws steeper and executions more common to further fuel her dip into Necromancy. They were led by a minor noble named Lady Rigel Celestial.
The war lasted a total of eight years. On July 5th, 213 A.E.D, Liekki’s army of griffon-riders and sundrakes, as well as the Shardbearers of the Deepwoods and Big Fang province, managed to reach the Sunlit City. The battle lasted the entire day, but eventually, they were able to reach the Palace of the Suns, where Chaophraya was waiting for them with Agni and Oksa. Agni had wanted to flee but was too old to make the journey alone, and she had been unwilling to give him an escort; so he had been forced to remain in the city as things went from bad to worse. All the death, however, had given him ample fuel to raise the dead as minions, and a second battle took place inside the castle.
At least… that was what happened for a few minutes. Seeing that others had finally reached them, Oksa took action and stabbed Agni, killing him. They had not disliked the man, but - they had to protect their people. Instantly, the man’s army of raised soldiers fell dead once more, their souls put to rest.
Enraged, Chaophraya turned on them, but Oksa’s own griffon intervened, attacking the Queen and managing to hold her off long enough for Liekki’s warriors to reach them and kill her.
In the weeks that followed, an uneasy peace unfolded between the two nations. Liekki stayed in the city to help clean up and make sure no bodies were left unclaimed or unburied before he gathered up his griffon-riders and returned to High Heart with Oksa. Since then, the two nations have treated each other with mixed respect and wariness.
After Oksa came back, many were suspicious that they may have delved into Necromancy while under the thumb of the sundrake Queen. Liekki ignored all such rumours and took the youngster - who was only twenty-three - under his wing, and eventually, such talk faded away. When he passed away in 225, Oksa entered into the Trials that followed, and succeeded him as High Heart’s leader, becoming Sovereign Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma.
Oksa would rule for the next sixty-four years, before dying in 289 A.E.D, at the age of ninety-nine. They remain one of High Heart’s most respected rulers.
In sundrake territory, the Shardbearers, the other nobles and the citizens who had fought against the Queen gathered to decide what was to be done; Chaophraya had no heirs, and she had been the last ad Meliora. They discussed it calmly at first, then devolved into arguing. That was when Lady Rigel stepped forward and put forth her claim. As she had led them alongside Liekki to fight the old Queen, the common people supported her, and the other nobles were perhaps too afraid of a civil war coming so soon after a defeat like they’d experienced to do anything but agree with her.
And so the Celestial family came to power in the sundrake kingdom. They would rule for the next few centuries, until the death of Queen Hessian Celestial during the Great Plague in 489.
Queen Chaophraya ad Meliora came into power in 155 A.E.D, and shortly after came the mysterious deaths and disappearances of the others of her dynasty. Although obviously there were a great many rumours about what might have befallen them, no one knew for sure exactly what had occurred. Chaophraya was already ninety years old at the time and sought out the services of a Necromancer - publicly - from Meros named Iraklis Agni Jericho Almássy. Necromancy had been outlawed since the time of Adeodatus, but Chaophrya said that surely there were acceptable applications of the ability, such as for the last queen of an old, powerful dynasty so that she might live long enough to have an heir?
That was her claim at first. As the years crept on and she did not seem at all interested in finding a spouse, and Agni continued to use executed common criminals to reduce her age and refine her appearance, both her court and her neighbours grew increasingly concerned. She ignored such concerns and continued to govern unbothered.
Emperor Liekki Kehotus of Rohkeutta came to power in 182 and expressed his people’s concern to Chaophraya about her open support for necromancy. She assured him that there was nothing to be worried about, and for a time, he accepted her word on that for the time being.
Until in 204 A.E.D, Chaophraya crossed a line. A young Harvest Mage, Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma, was travelling through eastern Rohkeutta Perhe territory, blessing the fields as they were planting - the only time such magic was used in High Heart - when they and their friends were set upon by sundrake soldiers. Oksa was taken and two of their companions killed, but one managed to escape to Falcon’s Landing to bring news of what had happened.
Liekki could guess the reason for the kidnapping; Agni, Chaophraya’s current Necromancer, was getting old. It appeared she intended for Oksa to be a replacement. He sent a missive to the Sunlit City with an ultimatum; if Oksa was not returned before the end of the year, he would take his people to war.
He received no response, and in 205 A.E.D, Liekki gathered the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and flew east.
What followed was at once a war between the sundrakes and High Heart, as well as a civil war between the Chaophraya and many of her people who found her use of Necromancy to prolong her youth unnerving. The common folk, in particular, flocked to Liekki’s side; in recent years, Chaophraya had made the penalties for laws steeper and executions more common to further fuel her dip into Necromancy. They were led by a minor noble named Lady Rigel Celestial.
The war lasted a total of eight years. On July 5th, 213 A.E.D, Liekki’s army of griffon-riders and sundrakes, as well as the Shardbearers of the Deepwoods and Big Fang province, managed to reach the Sunlit City. The battle lasted the entire day, but eventually, they were able to reach the Palace of the Suns, where Chaophraya was waiting for them with Agni and Oksa. Agni had wanted to flee but was too old to make the journey alone, and she had been unwilling to give him an escort; so he had been forced to remain in the city as things went from bad to worse. All the death, however, had given him ample fuel to raise the dead as minions, and a second battle took place inside the castle.
At least… that was what happened for a few minutes. Seeing that others had finally reached them, Oksa took action and stabbed Agni, killing him. They had not disliked the man, but - they had to protect their people. Instantly, the man’s army of raised soldiers fell dead once more, their souls put to rest.
Enraged, Chaophraya turned on them, but Oksa’s own griffon intervened, attacking the Queen and managing to hold her off long enough for Liekki’s warriors to reach them and kill her.
In the weeks that followed, an uneasy peace unfolded between the two nations. Liekki stayed in the city to help clean up and make sure no bodies were left unclaimed or unburied before he gathered up his griffon-riders and returned to High Heart with Oksa. Since then, the two nations have treated each other with mixed respect and wariness.
After Oksa came back, many were suspicious that they may have delved into Necromancy while under the thumb of the sundrake Queen. Liekki ignored all such rumours and took the youngster - who was only twenty-three - under his wing, and eventually, such talk faded away. When he passed away in 225, Oksa entered into the Trials that followed, and succeeded him as High Heart’s leader, becoming Sovereign Oksa Pyyhkäisy of Ilma.
Oksa would rule for the next sixty-four years, before dying in 289 A.E.D, at the age of ninety-nine. They remain one of High Heart’s most respected rulers.
In sundrake territory, the Shardbearers, the other nobles and the citizens who had fought against the Queen gathered to decide what was to be done; Chaophraya had no heirs, and she had been the last ad Meliora. They discussed it calmly at first, then devolved into arguing. That was when Lady Rigel stepped forward and put forth her claim. As she had led them alongside Liekki to fight the old Queen, the common people supported her, and the other nobles were perhaps too afraid of a civil war coming so soon after a defeat like they’d experienced to do anything but agree with her.
And so the Celestial family came to power in the sundrake kingdom. They would rule for the next few centuries, until the death of Queen Hessian Celestial during the Great Plague in 489.
Conquest of Padwell[377 A.E.D.]
Xocrium’s invasion of Padwell & High Heart.
Read in detail about the events of the Conquest of Padwell here.
When Xocrium began its attempts to take over Padwell by force in 376 A.E.D, the current ruler of High Heart, Jatkua Laululintu of Ilma, pledged his support to Queen Adain and griffon-riders from all seven Perhe joined the Padwellan forces in fighting back against the encroaching knights. In 377, however, Adain surrendered; the losses in that single year of battle shocked her, and she did not want to send any more soldiers to die fighting Xocrium.
Jatkua called an all-Perhe Council together to vote on what to do. The result was close, but the elders eventually decided that there was wisdom in Adain’s choice, and the best course forward would be to bide their time and wait for a chance to strike back and free themselves from their western neighbour’s rule. The factor of possibly having to fight their Padwellan cousins was also a strong influence on their choice. Although it wasn’t like the reign of Xocrium was ever secure; the mountains of High Heart were just as hostile to foolish outsiders as the marshes, and the cliffside cities of each Perhe were dangerous for those used to dwelling on solid ground.
That is not to say that High Heart survived the period following the Conquest unscathed. Xocrium’s Division of Feathers still went after citizens who spoke out against their conquerors and the tradition of the Perhe Councils - groups of elders who voted on major decisions - and their Trials-selected Sovereigns were in direct conflict with the noble houses that ruled the other nation. Unlike with Padwell’s Aateli, there was no easy way for the conquerors to convert their government into a system that matched their own, and to High Heart, the idea of a leader who earned their place by merit of blood alone was… at best odd and at worst abhorrent.
Jatkua was told that he would be given a position of power in his old territory, but that he would be the last Emperor of High Heart - they would cease their practice of the Trials and recognize only the Kings and Queens of Xocrium afterwards. He… reluctantly agreed, mostly because he knew that after he died, no one would abide by that choice.
Exactly as he’d expected, after his death in 394 Sovereign Joutsen Kalasääski of Ukkonen took his place. They had to go into hiding, of course, to avoid Xocrium’s wrath and died in 417 during a clash with knights sent to hunt them down. They were then succeeded by Emperor Haukka Korpi of Mieli, who held the position up until his death in 457.
In 458, Empress Mäki Lumimyrsky of Höyhen was chosen as the next ruler, only a year before Padwell’s rebellion would begin. She and the then Lord Maddox Padwell met many times in secret to plan for what was to come should, when he left to speak with the Xocrian queen the next year, their request for renewed independence be refused. Mäki was fully in support of fighting for their sovereignty, and honestly expected that they would have to, should the queen refuse.
When Xocrium began its attempts to take over Padwell by force in 376 A.E.D, the current ruler of High Heart, Jatkua Laululintu of Ilma, pledged his support to Queen Adain and griffon-riders from all seven Perhe joined the Padwellan forces in fighting back against the encroaching knights. In 377, however, Adain surrendered; the losses in that single year of battle shocked her, and she did not want to send any more soldiers to die fighting Xocrium.
Jatkua called an all-Perhe Council together to vote on what to do. The result was close, but the elders eventually decided that there was wisdom in Adain’s choice, and the best course forward would be to bide their time and wait for a chance to strike back and free themselves from their western neighbour’s rule. The factor of possibly having to fight their Padwellan cousins was also a strong influence on their choice. Although it wasn’t like the reign of Xocrium was ever secure; the mountains of High Heart were just as hostile to foolish outsiders as the marshes, and the cliffside cities of each Perhe were dangerous for those used to dwelling on solid ground.
That is not to say that High Heart survived the period following the Conquest unscathed. Xocrium’s Division of Feathers still went after citizens who spoke out against their conquerors and the tradition of the Perhe Councils - groups of elders who voted on major decisions - and their Trials-selected Sovereigns were in direct conflict with the noble houses that ruled the other nation. Unlike with Padwell’s Aateli, there was no easy way for the conquerors to convert their government into a system that matched their own, and to High Heart, the idea of a leader who earned their place by merit of blood alone was… at best odd and at worst abhorrent.
Jatkua was told that he would be given a position of power in his old territory, but that he would be the last Emperor of High Heart - they would cease their practice of the Trials and recognize only the Kings and Queens of Xocrium afterwards. He… reluctantly agreed, mostly because he knew that after he died, no one would abide by that choice.
Exactly as he’d expected, after his death in 394 Sovereign Joutsen Kalasääski of Ukkonen took his place. They had to go into hiding, of course, to avoid Xocrium’s wrath and died in 417 during a clash with knights sent to hunt them down. They were then succeeded by Emperor Haukka Korpi of Mieli, who held the position up until his death in 457.
In 458, Empress Mäki Lumimyrsky of Höyhen was chosen as the next ruler, only a year before Padwell’s rebellion would begin. She and the then Lord Maddox Padwell met many times in secret to plan for what was to come should, when he left to speak with the Xocrian queen the next year, their request for renewed independence be refused. Mäki was fully in support of fighting for their sovereignty, and honestly expected that they would have to, should the queen refuse.
Padwell’s Rebellion[459 - 494 A.E.D.]
An uprising against Xocrian rule.
The Xocrian Queen refused Maddox’s plea, and they were forced to declare themselves independent without her approval, sparking a war that would last the next thirty-five years. To read a detailed account of the Padwellan side of the war, go here.
Throughout, the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and the Empress worked with Padwell’s leadership to fight against Xocrium, battling them in the sky, the marshes, and on land. Myrkky, an extremely potent alcohol made from the wide variety of potatoes found in the mountains, was used by griffon riders to set fires (and in some cases as explosives) during the war, sabotaging and destroying the camps of any knights by the border.
In 489, Mäki was killed in one of the last few clashes at the border, her griffon brought down by archers and then attacked by a group of knights. Thankfully the war had grown calm by that point, and they were able to start the Trials to choose a new leader without taking needed attention away from the fighting. The Trials lasted into the next year.
In 490, Empress Usva Kesätuuli of Ilma took over, leading High Heart through the quiet final years of the war. Peace was officially declared in 494, and Padwell recognized (if begrudgingly) as an independent nation by Xocrium. As was normal, High Heart went unmentioned by the knights in their negotiations, considered simply a part of Padwell, but Usva didn’t care much. They had won their independence once more, and that was more important to her than semantics.
Throughout, the griffon-riders of the seven Perhe and the Empress worked with Padwell’s leadership to fight against Xocrium, battling them in the sky, the marshes, and on land. Myrkky, an extremely potent alcohol made from the wide variety of potatoes found in the mountains, was used by griffon riders to set fires (and in some cases as explosives) during the war, sabotaging and destroying the camps of any knights by the border.
In 489, Mäki was killed in one of the last few clashes at the border, her griffon brought down by archers and then attacked by a group of knights. Thankfully the war had grown calm by that point, and they were able to start the Trials to choose a new leader without taking needed attention away from the fighting. The Trials lasted into the next year.
In 490, Empress Usva Kesätuuli of Ilma took over, leading High Heart through the quiet final years of the war. Peace was officially declared in 494, and Padwell recognized (if begrudgingly) as an independent nation by Xocrium. As was normal, High Heart went unmentioned by the knights in their negotiations, considered simply a part of Padwell, but Usva didn’t care much. They had won their independence once more, and that was more important to her than semantics.
Modern Day[503 A.E.D. Onwards]
Recent events in High Heart.
In the years since the war with Xocrium ended, Empress Usva and Queen Tuonetar Padwell have been working hard to ensure that, should their western neighbour threaten to invade again, they’ll be prepared to repel them. Recent rumour holds that Usva is working on a skyship port in Falcon’s Landing, that, if true, will make them the only nation in Theavia - aside from Meros - to have such a place.