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 Post subject: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 6:16 pm 

Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:48 pm
Posts: 144
Guess who's back, sleep deprived, and writing way to much? This time, I'll be discussing the Val families who claim lineage from a Valinor of Illir, their auxiliaries, and other facts. If you have anything to contribute, please do so.

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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 6:53 pm 

Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:48 pm
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Let's start from the top: the val'Assante. The val'Assante are probably the most influential Val family on Onara, owing to the fact that ~95%+ of all Coryani Emperors were part of this family, barring that little stint from the val'Dellenov and a few others. This family has existed since the First Imperium, and are 99% likely to be an original family. The val'Assante were, and still are, known for being charismatic and wise leaders. This has led the family to having a few pride-related problems, but for the most part, they could be described as "first among equals". Emperors are often val'Assante. Patriarchs of the Church are often val'Assante. Inquisitors, important politicians, and priests of Illir are, more often than not, val'Assante.
They also have large amounts of resources, and many, many followers outside the family to aid them, with the Gracchi and Voucis families being connected.
If they join a legion, they're often Legio Lex Talonis, Legion of Heaven's Blade, Burnished Steel, Crusading Light, Searing Light, Sundering Rays, and the Triumphant Rays of The Invincible Sun. The Legion of Radiant Glory is uncertain on whether or not it was rebuilt. Yeah, there are a lot of Illirite legions.
The most influential of the currently living val'Assante are Elandre, Matriarch of The Church; Calmemnon, leader of the Legion of Heaven's Blade and known committer of fratricide; and the current Imperial Family.

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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:04 pm 

Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:48 pm
Posts: 144
Now for a relative newcomer on stage: The val'Vasik, descended from the Patience of Illir Xabal. This family was born in the last century, in the city of Bastion before it fell, relocating to parts of Milandir. I really can't say much about the family, seeing I haven't sat at the same table as one nor having read their bloodline powers. From what I know, they are law-abiding to a ridiculous degree, loyal, and pious to the Gods.

Then there are the ul'Jaya family, of whom I know nothing about other than worshiping Illir.

Finally, there is the val'Sungha family, House Swan. Unique in the sense they don't worship the Pantheon, House Swan is known for their influence in Kio politics, and for not loosing any of their Ancestral Kio Swords. Their fortunes have fallen by the wayside and they have lost some influence, however.

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Sigismund Jupiter val'Holryn von Tralia


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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:29 pm 
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I am pretty sure the val'Vasik are older than the last Century. The City of Bastion did not crop up "over night." (I think you may be confusing the val'Sosi family which was founded by players in the First Campaign about 75 years ago...after a special event involving the death of the Serenity of Beltine). But the val'Vasik are a younger family! They were born some time after the raising of the Gods Wall and founding of the Coryani Empire. I don't have a hard date for their origin but I would guess Holy Xabal lost his patience somewhere between 400-900 years ago.

Bastion, the val'Vasik home, was a beautiful and unearthly city. Though obviously heavily fortified. It essentially had NO litter in the streets, no homeless people, and appeared to have what we would call a command (instead of market) economy. A reasonable percentages of the city sang songs to Illiir and the gods throughout the day as their "jobs." Smiling was encouraged. We don't know much about typical crime in Bastion, but it was probably really low. Despite positive conditions there were a minority of people who felt suffocated in Bastion and unable to exercise their creativity or individuality. i believe the vasal family was called the Delecroix (sp?) and during the Crusade campaign we encountered a few who expressed some level of discontent.

Some NPC val'Vasik we encountered were described in mods (or the last Crusade BI) as "Insufferable Prigs." I take that to mean they thought they had a hotline to TRUTH & JUSTICE ... that they thought of themselves as a chosen people AND had a very sheltered existence that shielded them from ever having to deal with people different from themselves, and/or ever make a morally ambiguous choice.

With the death of Xabal and the destruction of Bastion those val'Vasik who survive have essentially survived the apocalypse. Do they wrestle with survivors guilt? Do they think their sacrifice was worth it? For they resent the world that has so quickly moved on to the destroyer and essentially forgotten them?

::edited for clarity::

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Eric Gorman

AKA Ambassador Tukufu, man of letters, tomb raider and Master Sword Sage
. . . and Sir Szymon val'Holryn, Order of the Phoenix
Formerly Sir Jaeger val'Holryn. Weilder of the Holy Avenger: Thonanos. Gave his soul to help free King Noen


Last edited by val Holryn on Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 10:37 pm 
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I personally find the ul'Jaya (once the val'Jaya) to be a hybrid between a val'Sheem and a val'Inares. Wanders steeped in prophesy. I believe they are relatively poor for a ul family and not particularly powerful politically. Perhaps not particularly respected in Khitan. Despite the fact that like the Sleeping Emperor they are prone to cryptic but useful pronouncements.

I think the relative lack of stature may be that they wander the world pointing "adventurers" in the right direction to "get stuff done." Rather than "important people" in power. Khitan has a big deal about everyone having a caste and a place in society ...and the ul'Jaya seem to float along, seemingly ignoring those customs.

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Eric Gorman

AKA Ambassador Tukufu, man of letters, tomb raider and Master Sword Sage
. . . and Sir Szymon val'Holryn, Order of the Phoenix
Formerly Sir Jaeger val'Holryn. Weilder of the Holy Avenger: Thonanos. Gave his soul to help free King Noen


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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:28 pm 

Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:48 pm
Posts: 144
Thank you for your insight, val'Holryn! And yes, I'm mixing up my Val family origins, so thank you for catching me there.

When it comes to the history of these family, you might as well look at the history of their respective kingdoms and empires, due to the fact that Illir's Chosen have a tendency to be leaders and rulers. As there are many reliable sources of the Coryani and Khitani Empire, along with the city of Bastion, I won't go over it here. So we'll be taking a look at Illirite organizations and culture.

Illir has command over the domains of Light, Leadership, Humans, Males, Perfection, along with the darker aspects of Curses and Wrath. His favored weapon is the gladius, and many clerics favor lorica segmenta and the scutum. The temples are awe-inspiring, with a large, transparent dome in the center to allow light to shine through. Temples are also never built underground, with the exception to the temples in Solanis Mor and Enpyben.

His priesthood are known for being fair and impartial judges, and also somewhat smug and arrogant. They often work closely with the clergy of Althares, as both Gods seek to ensure the survival and stability of human society. Some of them also work closely with dwarves, aiding them in their quest for redemption.

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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 2:44 am 
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I've been meaning to circle back to this. IMO the Coryani Empire is not a good representation of the "traditional;" role of the val'Assante or the Illiirite priesthood throughout the long years of human history.

In the "Modern Age" of Arcanis it is true that both the val'A & Temple of Illiir are dominant forces within the Coryani Empire ... which itself remains the most powerful human organization in the "Known World." For now. But despite the 1000 years of Coryan, for most of human history ... things were different.

In the First Imperium, we are told that the majority of human priests were Pantheonistic (dedicated to all the Gods) with only a small number dedicated to each of the individual gods. Illiirite priests only have would have been a minority of that minority. So its not at all clear to me that His specialty priests were especially important in the lives of most people during the First Imperium. Further we know that the Throne of Man passed between the val Families in cycles. Each family would get a dynasty of 5 Imperators, and then it would pass to the next family. So again, the val'Assante would not have been especially potent politically as far as we know. More so since (at least pre-Bloodwar) there were more val families then than now. In the wake of the fall of Manetas we also know that the val'Assante were in particularly low regard due to their collaboration with the rogue Archangel. So in the later Imperium it's likely that they had marginal power.

Flash forward to Shadowed Ages and Time of Terror. The val'Assante lands along the Corvis river were not impressive. This is a Time period "dominated" - to the extent that anyone dominated anything - by the Auxunites, Euryenel, Myrantians and Tenecians. The val Assante and Temple of Illiir played little to no role in any of them. Finally there was some opposition to Almeric val'Assante from becoming the "second emperor" of the anti-fiend military alliance that became the Coryani Empire. Everyone at that time was skeptical of granting the val'Assante power.

Khitan is largely opaque to us as players. We know the Sleeping Emperor is at the top of the political and social pyramid. Followed by the Uls. The Ul'Jaya (of illiir) are "idiot priests" and TMK lack political power. The heavy hitters seem to be the ul'Shi who are elite soldiers and perhaps the ul'Hsin who are masters of social interaction.

Okay . present times. The val'Assante are entrenched at the Emperors of the most powerful human nation in the known world and the priesthood of illiiir supports that order. In the present day the val'Assante are known as the first among equals of the val families.

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Eric Gorman

AKA Ambassador Tukufu, man of letters, tomb raider and Master Sword Sage
. . . and Sir Szymon val'Holryn, Order of the Phoenix
Formerly Sir Jaeger val'Holryn. Weilder of the Holy Avenger: Thonanos. Gave his soul to help free King Noen


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 Post subject: Re: Val Families of Illir
PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:04 am 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:08 am
Posts: 1473
Hello,

Excellent analysis, Eric.

You're correct that during the First Imperium, the val'Assante' family took quite a hit, prestige-wise (as well as in secular power and wealth) due to their allegiance with Manetas. However, they still held on to (or regained) some power and influence as the Theocracy of the Cleansing Flame went out of their way to try and destroy them. Remember that the val'Mehan "hid them away" in the sleepy, backwater town of (Old) Coryan. So they must have done something to rile up the Nierites or perhaps it was their tacit acceptance of seeing the val'Virdan being turned into slave-soldiers for the Imperium?

Who can say?

I'm enjoying this thread.

Please continue. :-)

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