The Valtarian Kingdoms
"Majesty without bounds."
Once upon a time, in the wild and untamed ruins of the old Valtarian Empire, a great beast ravaged the fields. The realm's queen, without heir, promised her lands to whoever could save her people. A plucky band of adventurers answered the call, and won the kingdom.
But they would not rest; instead, they called all wandering heroes to their banner. United, they set forth on a grand crusade to cleanse the lands of foul creatures and wicked magic. They grew rich on treasure from sacked dungeons, and won the hand of many a prince or princess from grateful but impoverished kingdoms. Before long, all of old Valtaria was theirs to rule.
Now there are no monsters left unslain, no fortresses unbreached. But good cannot exist without evil to sharpen its blade upon. The valiant Monarchs of the Valtarian Kingdoms are forced to adopt villainous mantles in a charade for their peers. They manufacture trial and torment for their offspring in the hope that they, too, will gain the shaper's gift - and, by it, their divine right to rule. The Monarchs play at love and politics and war, treasuries growing ever more thin, as they await the blissful release of their next crusade.
The Nature of the Kingdoms
The beliefs of the Valtarian Kingdoms centre around two concepts, Imperative and Fealty.
IMPERATIVEFEALTYA shaper's gift overcomes the prosaic nature of reality, distorting it around the strength of their will. Nothing is impossible, if they work hard enough to make it happen. If a shaper intends to do good, the Valtarians hold, then that is their will - and so their actions can *only* make the world a better place.
The consequence of this is that each Monarch in the Kingdoms is afforded complete moral authority, and complete moral duty to express it. This is known as their Imperative. Even the atrocities committed by Monarchs-In-Shadow are considered righteous, for they have the best of intentions when performing them.
Monarch-Pawns are those who have forsaken their Imperative; what possible reason would they have to do so, besides having evil in their heart?
If a Monarch has Imperative, a mortal does not: they have no more moral agency than animals. It is fitting, then, that the peasants of Valtaria live in absolute thrall to the Monarch-Victor of their kingdom.
Monarchs-Errant are rich in potential, but their dedication is not yet proven; it is typical for them to offer their fealty to a Monarch-Victor who can best guide them on their path.
Above all stands the Grand High Imperatrix herself, appointed by the Monarchs-Victor as the most virtuous amongst them. A god-king amongst god-kings, hers the highest authority of all.
This spiritual hierarchy is deeply entrenched in Valtarian society, and while passions flare between Monarchs - it is the nature of such virtuous beings - to stand against it is to stand against the very concept of moral meritocracy. And nobody with goodness in their heart could abide that.
The Shapers of the Valtarian Kingdoms
Contents
The Monarchs-Errant
"I am called to greatness, and my answer shall echo through the ages."
It is a great day in Valtaria when one of their number attains the shaper's gift. Their background, whether humble or grand, is of no nurther import: they are a Monarch, a god-king amongst mortals, and the future rests on their soldiers. Amidst grand revelry, their newfound peers induct them into Valtaria's Society of Heroes. They are told of their Imperative: the combined duty and moral authority imparted by their newfound powers.
The newfound Monarch-Errant will take an honorific after their name, in recognition of their manner of greatness - The Unbeholden, The Unquenched Blade, The Lance Of The Stars - and it is this by which they are formally known. But they are accorded no grander title, and no lands to rule, until they prove themselves as rightful heirs of destiny to the Monarchs-Victor that populate the Grand High Imperatrix's court.
Ever ready for battle, bold in spirit and in action: the drive to succeed, and to be seen to succeed, is at the heart of every Monarch-Errant.
The Monarchs-Victor
"By right, the world is mine."
The Valtarian Kingdoms are ruled by the Monarchs-Victor, members of the court of the Grand High Imperatrix. Charged with impenetrable moral authority by their gift, proven in their dedication and courage many times over, there are none who can claim higher virtue than they.
Monarchs-Victor are chosen from the ranks of aspiring Monarch-Errant, when they have used their miraculous power to accomplish tasks worthy of such station. They take on a further honorific before their name - Saviour-Regnant Of Coldwater Main, Her Inviolate Majesty, Benefactor-Regent - and are granted command of a kingdom within the fjords and broken peaks of Valtaria.
As the advance against the Walkers and Combine has faltered, and the Kingdoms' trove of treasures runs ever more dry, there has been little deserving of the attention of such grand heroes and heroines. From the walls of their fortresses, they have turned their hand to the games of politics and romance, using their fellow Monarchs and the vast armies they command to entertain themselves - at least, until something really worthwhile comes along. Needless to say, the creation of the Outworld has turned many heads.
Monarch-Pawns
"My destiny is my own."
Not all shapers in the Valtarian Kingdoms accept their newfound role in the hierarchy so readily. Perhaps they were scions or serfs, and cannot forgive the cruelty that was inflicted upon them; perhaps their sense of propriety simply recoils at what the Monarchs have become.
These scattered few scorn the Grand High Imperatrix's court, and set out to forge their own destiny. Forsaking the tainted riches that would have been bestowed upon them, they do what they can with what they have - or can seize from the hands of Monarchs.
Their would-be peers, for the most part, consider them with a mixture of pity and contempt. They call them Monarch-Pawns: in refuting their Imperative, they have forsaken virtue, and so are free game to be manipulated into the Monarch-Victors' schemes.
Monarchs-In-Shadow
"Everyone needs a hobby."
Good cannot exist without evil. The Valtarian Kingdoms, having long extinguished their supply of dark dungeons and foul creatures, is forced to create its own. A Monarch may elect to disappear for a while, citing some suitable excuse - and in short while, a Monarch-In-Shadow will appear.
Monarchs-In-Shadow adopt titles equivalent to the rank of their alter-ego, and former Monarchs-Victor will be accorded one of the dark citadels that the Grand High Imperatrix keeps on hand for such a purpose. Then they begin their foul work, indulging in as much villainy as they can accomplish. While the identity of a Monarch-In-Shadow is a charade, the suffering and devastation they inflict is very real.
The role of Monarch-In-Shadow is an open secret amongst the Monarchs of the Valtarian Kingdoms: they consider it a mark of moral fortitude for them to set aside their virtue and serve the Kingdoms in this way. And they do serve, creating an excellent environment in which new shapers can rise through acts of heroism, Monarchs-Errant can prove their mettle, and Monarchs-Victor can entertain themselves. They also provide an excellent pretext to brutally conquer and then 'free' neighbouring nations.
Most commonly, the mantle of a Monarch-In-Shadow is shrugged off at a suitably dramatic point; they will recede into the darkness, cursing the brave heroes and assuring them of their eventual return. Some, however - especially former serfs, or those who have a secret taste for tyranny - adopt the role permanently. More than one Monarch's house has been serving the Kingdoms in this way for generations.
