On The Founding of Heartvale

Year 1: Artus Vixilio (aged 45)

Cataclysm strikes the island kingdom of Aelfhime. As a shroud falls around the boundaries of the island, many mortals who were living peacefully with the fae flee for safety. One such group finds a harbor in a protected mountain vale and begins building a settlement. The captain of the first ship to make landfall, Artus Vixilio, is proclaimed ruler of the new settlement. 

Year 3: Vixilio (47)

In the first years of the settlement, which has been dubbed Heartvale, more survivors reach their shores. The vale, which at first seemed peaceful, was home to a dangerous beast that hunted settlers in the night. Vixilio and a number of others track the creature to its lair and slay it, eventually bringing safety to Heartvale. 

Year 5: Vixilio (49)

To further protect the new village, a mage named Biardo, who was trained in fae stone shaping, causes a stone perimeter wall to grow from the earth. The stones have grooves and markings that occasionally howl in warning when danger approaches. Vixilio, a worshiper of Luparcas, names the wall Wolfsong. 

Year 8: Vixilio (52)

Another ship of survivors arrives having first sailed north and struggling to survive in the Frozen Wastelands. As the village’s numbers begin to swell, plans are made to expand the footprint spilling beyond Wolfsong. 

Year 16: Vixilio (60) 

Artus Vixilio has tirelessly been seeking out pockets of survivors and bringing them back to Heartvale. In the aftermath of the Shrouding, the face of Ardost has changed. The Marecaliga has become more dangerous to sail, and there are many lost souls who are seeking safe harbor. As a candle that burns too bright too quickly, Vixilio dies in his sleep, returning from one such voyage. 

Year 17: Biardo (55)

With the death of Heartvale’s first leader, the mage Biardo steps forward to guide the village’s next steps. As Vixilio’s chosen successor, he is met with gratitude and confidence. Heartvale continues to flourish under his oversight, and Vixilio’s life and works are honored. 

Year 21: Biardo (59)

A ship arrives, and Heartvale expects more settlers seeking shelter. Instead they meet representatives from a place called Davennar. The representatives come armed and haughty, demanding tribute for the protection that Davennar offers in these uncertain times. The Valers laugh in their face and turn them away. An enemy is made. Skirmishes between Heartvale ships and Davennaran ships begin. 

Year 35: Biardo (73)

The mage ruler is growing older and relying more and more on his magic to sustain himself. He mostly retires from public life and relies on a council of advisors to execute his plans for the village. A faction arises that calls into question the old man’s reliance on magic and suggests new leadership may be required. Biardo begins work on a fortress within Wolfsong as a way to honor Vixilio and offers the leader of this faction a seat on his advisory council. 

Year 41: Biardo (79)

The castle is completed, and the ruler of Heartvale is now referred to as the Dux, an old term from Aelfhime. A prominent statue of Vixilio stands in the courtyard of the castle. No magic was used in its construction, and the faction questioning Biardo’s leadership is placated for the time being. What follows is a period of prosperity for Heartvale. 

Year 52: Biardo (90)

Also known as the year of the churning seas, a massive wave approaches shore, seemingly called up by angry gods and sent against the city. As it makes landfall, a portion of the now sprawling village is washed away, but Biardo is able to summon his strength to act. He stands before the oncoming storm and unleashes the breadth of his power, diverting the wave from destroying Heartvale, but in the process, his heart gives out and he dies. 

Year 65: Atrix Rudissa (37)

In the wake of Biardo’s death, there’s a brief power struggle. A number of candidates rise to take power as the Dux, but none remain in the office for more than four years until Atrix Rudissa, a dashing ship captain who promises a return to the days of Vixilio. She becomes Dux in the fall of 65 right before Heartvale is struck with its most harsh winter yet. Though the times are difficult, Atrix holds the people together. She is often seen walking the streets, handing out small loaves of bread to those who are starving, and over the course of the winter, the people of Heartvale watch the iron-willed captain grow gaunt as it becomes obvious that she gives from her own share of rations. 

Year 80: Atrix Rudissa (52)

After the Long Winter, Atrix enjoys fourteen years of prosperity. Eventually, she is overcome with a desire to retrace Vixilio’s journey from Aelfhime and she puts together an expedition. She and her ship vanish and are never seen again. No one knows what became of the beloved Dux and there is great consternation. There are three potential successors, and a contest is appointed to determine who will lead the village next. The winner is another’s captain named Perna Atori. 

Year 90: Perna Atori (41)

Though young at the start of her rulership, Perna Atori immediately commands respect. She spends the next ten years building a larger shipyard and constructing more ships. Some fear that she plans to follow Atrix Rudissa to discover what befell the previous Dux, but Perna has an eye toward Davennar. In her time sailing the Marecaliga, she engaged in no fewer than a dozen engagements with Davennaran ships which seemed to be growing more bold with every passing year. 

Year 94: Perna Atori (45)

Representatives of Altima, a city-state south of Davennar, arrive in Heartvale. They come requesting an alliance and protection against Davennar. Perna considers their request and recognizes the danger of Davennar gaining control of another merchant city. She decides to offer them aid. Davennar is angered by this interference. 

Year 101: Perna Atori (52) 

Heartvale continues to flourish and grow, especially with the Altima alliance locked in. The village has grown into a small city and scholars from a number of places convene the first Scriptorium within the city’s walls. Knowledge and education flourish as more scholars flock to Heartvale. 

Year 120: Perna Atori (71)

Far to the south, the king of Resdin has been hunting necromancers in his own country. A fugitive arrives in Heartvale. He is called Alcurehar and somehow he ingratiates himself into Perna’s privy council. Over the next year, Perna begins wasting away and eventually dies, ending the recent golden age. 

Year 135: The Unlucky Eleven

Perna Atori’s chosen replacement is not as old, but suffers the same fate. Ten others rise to the Duxate in the following years, but the longest reign is three years. All seem to wither away and die. There are rumors that the position of Dux has become cursed. Alcurehar finally props up a puppet ruler named Delmo. The rest of the council is suspicious of Delmo and Alcurehar, but fear keeps them in line. 

Year 140: Delmo (53)

Alcurehar is discovered by Alden von Tryken to be a necromancer. The two mages duel and the necromancer is slain. Delmo, who claims to have been held under a spell, is banished. Alden is proclaimed a hero by the people and the council and is swiftly ascended to the Duxate. 

Year 150: Alden von Tryken (47)

With the defeat of the Resdinian necromancer, Alden reaches out to the king of Resdin. Trade and shipping routes are established between the two countries and an alliance begins in its infancy. 

Year 165: Alden von Tryken (62)

Alden builds a vault that can only be opened by members of his blood. In order to achieve this magery, he uses power derived from the discovered papers of Alcurehar the Necromancer. He is confident in his ability to use these dark magics for good. 

Year 184: Alden von Tryken (81)

Relations between Resdin and Heartvale have become strong and stable. Trade is flourishing and the relationship between the city-state and the southern kingdom is Alden’s crowning achievement. He spends a great deal of time visiting Resdin, always in service of growing the alliance, though there are rumors that he continued to search for more and more pieces of magic lore to place inside his vault. 

Year 202: Alden von Tryken (99)

Alden passes peacefully at a ripe old age and is succeeded by his son, Gerlo, who continues to grow the city’s focus on magic. 

Year 222: Gerlo von Tryken (75)

The outer walls of Heartvale are built by hand. The old fae magic has been lost. Construction takes almost twenty years and is Gerlo’s crowning achievement, despite his attempts to add to magic knowledge contained in the Scriptorium. Sadly, Gerlo is not as powerful a mage as his father. 

Year 241: Gerlo von Tryken (94)

Heartvale continues to grow and the districts of the city begin to coalesce into definitive sections of the city. Gerlo names his grand-daughter, Heldis, as his successor to the Duxate. 

Year 252: Adolva Nona (41)

Gerlo dies and an anti-magistocracy faction forms, spearheaded by a number of ship captains. Heldis steps down when an incursion occurs and the fighting turns against her people. The captains take control of the Dux’s castle and install Adolva Nona as the new Dux. Adolva, who was friends with Heldis, holds the von Tryken heir under house arrest for a time while she consolidates power before releasing her. 

Year 266: Adolva Nona (55)

Under Dux Adolva, Heartvale’s navy is upgraded. Advancements continue to shape both the naval and merchant vessels allowing them to travel farther and faster. 

Year 279: Adolva Nona (68)

Davennar has been watching Heartvale’s grip on the Marecaliga grow, and they wish to stop it before Heartvale can become the dominant power. A fleet is launched and begins making its way towards Heartvale. Thanks to the clever maneuvers of a naval scout frigate, Heartvale is warned and Adolva assembles the city’s naval forces to repel the attack. The first all out war with Davennar begins. 

Year 284: Adolva Nona (73)

Five years of war wages on as Heartvale and Davennar both take heavy losses. Two fleets meet in another massive battle, but this time, Heartvale’s flagship is exposed and sunk. Adolva Nona perishes in the disaster, but questions quickly arise. How could she have allowed her ship to become that exposed. Dux Adolva was far too skilled as a ship captain to make such a foolish mistake. Was she betrayed?

Year 285: Gario Chierie (28)

Shortly after the death of Dux Adolva, just outside Heartvale, the Valer navy makes a desperate last stand. The winds favor Heartvale and half of the Davennaran fleet is caught in a terrible squall. A young ship captain named Gario Chierie takes advantage of the disorder and strikes at the fleet’s heart. The Davennarans are routed and Gario is proclaimed a hero, and the new Dux. 

Year 303: Gario Chierie (46)

Resdin becomes a formal ally with Heartvale occupying the strong position in that relationship. A princess from Resdin arrives to wed Gario, and a massive celebration marks the union. Gario is at the height of his popularity and power. 

Year 309: Rigillo deMetza (43)

There is a coup from anti-Resdin Valers. Gario and his family are forced to flee to Resdin and reside there in exile. Rigillo deMetza, a merchant prince, becomes the new Dux. Almost immediately, he shows his hand as an iron-fisted ruler raising taxes and tariffs (especially on Resdinian goods) immediately. 

Year 321: Rigillo deMetza (55)

Rigillo commissions the construction of a great plateau within Brightscales. He consecrates it to Lupercas, the hunter god, with the blood sacrifice of a hundred bulls. The blood runs down the steps for three days, and despite public effort, the stains cannot be removed. The place is dubbed the Red Steps. Rigillo also commissions a statue of himself at the top of the steps. 

Year 340: Rigillo deMetza (74)

Rigillo is assassinated but no one is sure who is responsible. Many suspect one of the rival merchant families, but no one discovers that it was his own wife who had grown weary after years of abuse. She crafted a careful plan and executed it flawlessly, and the iron-fisted and iron-hearted ruler died gasping in his own blood, the only one aware of who his killer actually was. 

Year 358: Council and Dessio deSodo (61)

The council acts as a steward after the death of Rigillo. They delay an election for a number of years on the grounds that deMetza’s murderer must be caught before allowing another member of the merchant aristocracy rise to the Duxate. Finally, they elect Dessio deSodo. During this time, a young woman called Rainwind arrives in Heartvale. She is a mage, growing in her power, who is a scion of Delmo. She has returned to claim her birthright and right the wrongs that befell her ancestor. 

Year 377: Dessio deSodo (80)

Using magic, Rainwind manipulates the weather and brings prosperity to the Vale. The sun shines on Heartvale, but not on Davennar. Rainwind is proclaimed a hero and the council is convinced to depose the useless Dessio and raise Rainwind to the Duxate. 

Year 383: Rainwind (50)

Recognizing the power and danger inherent in Rainwind, Vidal von Tryken arranges a marriage between her and his second son. Ardis. Unbeknownst to the sorceress, Ardis has been rendered infertile due to some failed magical experimentation, and Vidal has ensured that Rainwind will not be able to gain access to the von Tryken vault, despite her hunger for knowledge and power. 

Year 401: Rainwind (68)

After twenty-four years of ruling Heartvale, Rainwind realizes she has reached the pinnacle of magical knowledge she can consume within the city. The von Tryken vault of secrets remains ever outside her reach. She assembles a ship and crew and sails toward the Shroud. In the past, ships were spat back out of the Shroud with no memory of what transpired inside, but Rainwind’s ship enters and never returns. 

Year 417: Council of Twelve

After the reign of a strong personality like Rainwind, the Council of Twelve seeks to retain some control of the city. What follows is a string of notably dull Duxes from the old nobility who generally maintain peace in the city. A tension rises in the power centers as new money begins questioning why the Duxate has been kept out of their reach.  

Year 435: Botuia (38)

Daughter of a proud merchant family from Larsha, Botuia is put forth as a representative of the new money. She easily wins the popular vote and the Council of Twelve are unable to deny her ascension to the Duxate. She brings with her knowledge garnered from emissaries of the Kemetian Empire to the southeast that help increase the viability of Valer ships in deep water. 

Year 452: Botuia (55)

Under Botuia’s rule, Heartvale becomes even more welcoming of immigrants and outsiders. This is a golden era for the city as commerce booms. Travelers from all around Ardost come to see the jewel of the Marecaliga and many stay contributing their culture to the city as a whole. 

Year 463: Botuia (66)

Botuia arranges a political marriage with a young prince from the Kemetian Empire. This young prince, named Adjar, arrives with a fanfare and a gift of six warships built in the imperial shipyard. High society is taken with the young prince as he fits nicely into his duty as the Dux’s consort.

Year 466: Botuia (69)

With the presence of Adjar, merchants from the Kemetian Empire enjoy unfettered access to the city and their wealth grows, as does that of the prince. In order to prove that she has not become a pawn of the empire to the south, Botuia founds the War College and names it after the first Dux, Artus Vixilio. She donates all but one of the Kemetian warships to the War College as prizes for the first captains who graduate from its halls.  

Year 473: Botuia (76)

After a series of maritime disasters and trouble with pirates, Altima implores Heartvale for assistance. It is granted and the pirates are scattered. Altima begins paying a regular tribute. 

Year 475: Botuia (78)

Adjar takes power in the wake of Botuia falling ill. The Dux recovers from her illness but the Kemetian prince does not fully relinquish the power he has taken. He begins pushing an agenda of militarism and intimidation of neighboring settlements, perhaps goaded on by the riches pouring in from Altima. A few settlements send paltry tributes, but Davennar laughs at the suggestion of paying tribute to Heartvale. With this influx of money, the city continues to grow. 

Year 478: Botuia (81)

The power struggle continues between Botuia and Adjar, though seemingly in private they maintain the utmost civility and respect for each other. A great fire breaks out in the main temple to Argante, the dragon queen. Prince Adjar had been in attendance, performing a night long vigil. If not for a watchful priest, the prince might have suffocated in the smoke. As one of Heartvale’s three patron deities, this fire is viewed as an ill omen, and some of Adjar’s more firm policies are softened by Botuia’s insistence. 

Year 489: Adjar (53)

Botuia passes away peacefully in her sleep, and though he reportedly mourns her in public and in private, Ajar steps into the role as Dux. The council is either too afraid of him or genuinely supports him. Either way, his ascension to the duxate is uncontested. As his first act, he changes the terms of Heartvale’s mandatory service, reducing the age of recruitment to seventeen and increasing the term from two years to three. 

Year 495: Adjar (59)

A defector from Davennar arrives with information. The fire in the temple of Argante was Davennaran in origin and was an attempted assassination. Adjar takes this information in stride and returns to his more militaristic policies, including ordering the construction of more warships. 

Year 501: Adjar (65)

Adjar spends a great deal of time and resources having Davennarans tracked down, captured, and interrogated. Despite years of effort, he cannot verify the claim that the fire was an assassination attempt. News of these actions is leaked to Davennar and they are incensed by Adjar’s actions. The Dux is unapologetic and war is on the verge of breaking out. The only thing that prevents a conflict is a timely appeal to the Davennaran Apexate by members of the Council of Twelve. They argue that if any of them were targeted for assassination, the Apexate would go to the same lengths. The Davennarans are released and war is averted. 

Year 521: Adjar (85)

All five members of the Davennaran Apexate are assassinated while engaged in a private conference. The assassins escape without a trace. Despite his advanced years, the Davennarans immediately accuse Adjar of the attack. The elderly Dux laughs in the representatives’ faces and claims that if he wanted them dead, he would have been warrior enough to challenge them to battle. Oddly enough, the Davennaran representatives find this response plausible. Peace is maintained. 

Year 523: Adjar (87)

Despite his advanced years, Adjar is hale and hearty. He is always looking for the next challenge to conquer. After years of obsessively reading reports about the Shroud, he decides that he must see it for himself and discover the secret to penetrating its boundary. He leads an expedition into the Shroud, and they never return. 

Year 534: Sardro dePesa (47)

For a time, the duxate is held open, awaiting Adjar’s return. When it becomes clear he will not return, the Council of Twelve elevates Sardro dePesa to the position. He is a respected member of society known for the horses he breeds, and by many, he is viewed as a safe, calming presence in the high seat. Around this same time, Altima and Davennar go to war. Altima reaches out to Heartvale for assistance and the Valer navy is dispatched to assist their ally. A Davennaran operative discovers evidence that Altima was responsible for the assassination of the Apexate. They appeared to be attempting to ignite conflict between Heartvale and Davennar. The operative leaks this evidence to Heartvale, and Dux dePesa recalls the fleet. 

Year 545: Sardro dePesa (58)

Davennar defeats Altima and forces them to pay tribute, cutting off the flow of tribute to Heartvale. Despite Dux dePesa recalling the fleet when learning about the Altiman deception, animosity begins to brew once again between Davennar and Heartvale. In their brief entrance into the conflict, the Valer navy sank a dozen Davennaran warships. The Davennarans remain bitter over this defeat while Heartvale feels the loss of the Altiman tribute. 

Year 568: Duso von Kartan (43)

In the wake of the war between Davennar and Altima, there are concerns about Heartvale not being strong enough to defend against a conflict with Davennar. A ship’s captain named Duso von Kartan runs a successful campaign with the support of a majority of captains in the navy, but it becomes quickly apparent that von Kartan is a bloody tyrant. He is less interested in keeping Heartvale strong than with proving that he is the greatest and most powerful sea lord on the Marecaliga. It doesn’t take long for his name to become synonymous with cruelty. 

Year 583: Ardro deSerta (55)

Once a friend to von Kartan, Captain deSerta can no longer stomach the blatant cruelties perpetrated by his once friend and shipmate. Ardro deSerta plans and executes a coup against the Dux, and the Council of Twelve are far too willing to allow the more moderate captain to step into the role. 

Year 592: Jarden Lentin (43)

Supporters of Duso von Kartan help him escape from prison and he murders the Dux before fleeing the city. Jarden Lentin, a respected Warden of the Vale who once led a renowned special operations group called the Fire Eaters tracks von Kartan and his followers down and recaptures them. The criminals are executed and Warden Lentin successfully wins a bid for the Duxate. 

Year 598: Jarden Lentin (49)

Despite attempts at peace, hostilities between Davennar and Heartvale reach a fever pitch. There are debates about who struck first, but regardless, war is declared between the two city states. Dux Lentin calls up reserve forces and puts forth an initiative to conscript Drift ships as auxiliaries which is accepted despite their reluctance. Valer and Davennaran ships clash in a series of pitched battles.   

Year 601: Jarden Lentin (52)

After three years of war, it is discovered that emissaries from Davennar have been purposefully captured, murdered, and returned to Davennar by a war hawk faction within Heartvale. The Dux dispatches Lord Cavo deSodo to negotiate peace with Davennar, offering up a few scapegoats to satisfy the Davennaran fury at their envoys’ mistreatment. A tentative peace is established and many of the Valer naval vessels are recalled. A mercenary company known as the Crest arrives in Heartvale after a disastrous contract in the southern country of Larsha.