1st Noble Emblem: Fluff

RECENT HISTORY:

484-486 SD (Second Dynasty): Duke of Redoan allies with Duchess of Kasmere and Duke of Carden and revolt against King Leben V. All other Dukes and Duchesses do not intervene.
1st May 486 SD: Duke Carden killed in combat by King Leben V, who dies in a duel against Duke of Redoan few days later.
3rd May 486 SD: Capital City of Lebenzar surrenders; Castle Leben is stormed, Queen Consort Elincia, Crown Prince Rison and Prince Ernest are murdered by Redoan's soldiers.
End of Second Arkosian Dynasty

Third Arkosian Dynasty: Duchy of Redoan becomes Capital Province and establishment of Adenberre as the new Capital City.

24th December, 8 TD (Third Dynasty): Crown Prince Marcus dies of high fever; his younger brother becomes the next heir and later ascends the throne as  Redoan II.
9-12 TD: War with Ionia; marginal victory for Arkos which captured few border villages and mining complex in eastern Ionian peaks.
17 TD: Sundering of Isermeth; Duke Isermeth dies in assasination plot, which allows his younger son, Ataril, to revolt against his brother, the next Duke, Albion. Short-lived Duchy of Atar is created.
22 TD: Duke Ataril and his wife Theosyne are killed by unknown assailants during hunting trip. Within two weeks, armies of Duke Isermeth conquer the leader-less land. King Redoan I nullifies the Atar Duchy six months later.
27 TD: Young Duchess of Rabos marries Duke Achan. Duchy of Rabos is absorbed by Duchy of Achan, extending its territory to south and west.
30 TD: Kasmere invades northern Achan because Duke Kasmere was furious over high fees and restrictions imposed by Duke Achan on Kasmere traders who traded with Horikos. Despite intervention from Redoan I, the war continued until Arkosian nobility officially acknowledged the conquered lands as part of Duchy Kasmere.
39 TD: Night of Shame: During Coronation Ball of King Redoan II, Polos, Duke of Grix, fights with and kills Dukes Carden and Selesse, then falls off a palace balcony and breaks his neck.
39-40 TD: War between Duchies of Grix and Selesse. Fighting lasts six months with heavy losses on both sides. A peace treaty is mediated with the help of neighbouring lords.
43 TD: People learn of a secret affair that Duke of Lebenzar had with Duchess of Kasmere, already married and mother to four children. Duke Achen is stripped of his title and then killed in a duel with Duke Selesse who fought on behalf of the old and sickly Duke Kasmere.
45 TD: William, son of Duke and Duchess of Selesse, is born.
47 TD: Redoan III coronated after his father dies of illness at rather young age of 38 years.
57 TD: Duke Selesse dies in strange circumstances; his wife Elisse takes control of the Duchy.
60 TD: William turns fifteen; strangely, he rejects all marriage proposals from several women, including the widowed Duchess Grix who also holds the title of Duchess Legarl as a regent for infant Otos, whose parents, Soyar and Bethanne, Duke and Duchess of Legarl, died from poisoned wine earlier that year.
61 TD: Duke Isermeth turns 50 yet his consort, Ismaire, still haven't borne him a child. In the early summer, William of Selesse suddenly accepts the marriage proposal of Duke Carden, who offered his third and youngest daughter, Sophie, as his bride several times in the past to no avail.
13th September 61 TD: William, escorted by his trusted guards and friends, leaves Selesse for the border of Carden.
15th September 61 TD: TODAY

DUCHIES OF ARKOS:

Note: Several of the Duchies on the map might seem to not have established borders. It is like that because rivers are used as natural borders between the Duchies.

Legarl:
Ruled by Iaris, Duchess of Grix, who acts as a regent for infant Otos, son of late Soyar, Duke of Legarl, and his wife Bethanne.
Legarl is the border Duchy that sees prosperity thanks to silver and cinnabar mines in Iron Mountains as well as intense trade with Dagalia, country famous for its pegasi and herbs.

Grix:
Ruled by Iaris, Duchess of Grix, wife of late Fabian, Duke of Grix, younger brother of Oth, current Duke of Lebenzar.
Her son Aochim is kept in an asylum due to mental instability, which means that currently Duchess of Grix has no viable heir. Duchess Grix attempted to woo William, the only child of Duchess Selesse, but he always refused her.

Carden:
Ruled by Gerard, Duke of Carden. His wife Alexandra died giving birth to their fourth child and third daughter, Sophie, who is destined to be bride of William of Selesse.
Carden is known for it's lengthy list of scandals, rebellions and shady dealings with Ranisians, who often attempted to seize control of Arkos during Second Dynasty. During Third Dynasty, Carden have seen increasing stability and slow mending of its tarnished reputation.

Selesse:
Ruled by Elisse, Duchess of Selesse, wife of late Kastor, Duke of Selesse and cousin of Redoan II, previous King.
Selesse has control over most of the trade on River Atis, which goes from Ranis all the way to the coast. Timber, crafts, perfume, horses and copper are traverse the river, filling the coffers of Selesse with gold from trade fees.

Isermeth:
Ruled by Talon, Duke of Isermeth. Married to Ismaire, younger sister of Iaris, Duchess of Grix.
Isermeth have seen lots of border skirmishes with Ionia, and the bandits and raiders crossing the mountains are constant threat to Isermeth's stability, which still haven't recovered from Sundering 40 years ago.

Achan:
Ruled by Pann, Duchess of Achan, who is still unmarried despite being twenty-eight years old.
Achan sees lots of exchange and trade with neighbouring Horikos and Ranis. Over thirt-five years ago, the marriage of previous Duke Achan allowed him to absorb Duchy of Rabos into Achan.

Kasmere:
Ruled by Thomas, Duke of Kasmere and younger son of King Redoan III. Married to Ophelia, cousin of Gerard, Duke of Carden.
Kasmere is one of the two provinces with access to the sea; this allows it to maintain relationships and trade routes with the distant Archeon, shamanic theocracy and Justos, the island kingdom in the east.

Lebenzar:
Ruled by Oth, Duke of Lebenzar, grandson of Tefella, sister of Redoan I. Currently unmarried.
Lebenzar was the Capital Province of Second and First Dynasties, until King Leben V and his family were killed in the aftermath of Redoan's Uprising. Oskardis, second-largest city in the Duchy located near the border with Duchy of Carden, has the largest magic school in Arkos.

Capital Province of Redoan:
Ruled by Redoan III, Duke of Redoan and King of Arkos. Married to Princess Syle of Dagalia, daughter of the previous king, Dag-Ande.
Redoan was known as a land of sailors and merchants until Leon, Duke of Redoan began modernizing the Duchy and improving its army; this was prelude to the uprising that led to the demise of Second Dynasty. Adenberre is the largest city of Arkos and on the northern continent, its population passing nineteen thousand citizens in 55 TD.

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES:

Dagalia:
Dagalia is country of hills and mountains. The Dagalian folk are hard-working mercenaries, pegasi trainers and miners. Dagalia trades a lot with Ionia and Arkos, despite the strenous relationship between the two latter countries.

Ionia:
Eternal enemy of Arkos since the early Second Dynasty. Ionia was once a Duchy of the First Arkosian Dynasty, before Diob the Ironfist rebelled against King Arkos XI. Since then, Ionia managed to expand its territory to west and south and become a large, strong country on its own.

Ranis:
Ranis is a small country ruled by a Council. Ranisians rarely wage wars, they prefer covert assasinations and complex political treaties to ensure the security and stability of their borders. The source of River Atis lies in southern Ranis, in the Blue Mountains.

Horikos:
A country of swamps and farmlands, Horikos enjoys prosperity and peace, with only occassional skirmish with its neighbours; this is because Horisians are master breeders and trainers of the vicious Wyverns, who form the spine of their military. Despite trade with Duchy of Kasmere and Achan, Horisians rarely interact with Arkos and its people.

SPIRITUALITY OF ARKOSIANS:

Arkos never had a 'unifying' religion, albeit the Cult of Silver Star is favored by current reigning dynasty for all ceremonial purposes.
Outside Capital Province, there are numerous small cults, with their spheres of influence rarely going outside their Duchy of origin, or sometimes, even their home city.
The cult with largest influence, primarily in Carden, Selesse, and Achan, is the Order of Saris, a princess from early Second Dynasty who could heal wounds with her touch and soothed wild animals with her singing; she is patron of healers, performers, travelers, families, women and children.