Rane Monarchy
Introduction[edit]
Mount Highshield has always been ruled by a monarch. In every age, even in their histories spoken of before the Empire of Iségrad or the Realm of Arlandria had so much as found their lands settled, the island chain of towering mountains has been home to the longest surviving dynasty known to mortals. Though their xenophobic tendencies have made their histories hard to learn, recent interactions with other nations has allowed outsiders a peek into the past, and now both rumor and fact has spread. Where Iségrad has found power in progression and Arlandria in expansionism and community, Mount Highshield’s people believe wholeheartedly in the ability of their king to lead them into the future.
History[edit]
The Great Spirit Delta has not received the moniker of "Kingmaker" without reason. Following each Convergence once the fires of planar conflict have ended, it is said the spirit guides those in Highshield who have remained, and among them does he select who will lead. None can say if the process is always the same, but nearly nine centuries ago, the bloodline of King Salfrey Rane I garner the spirit’s blessing. Ever since, the Rane’s have ruled Mount Highshield and the surrounding islands, known collectively as the Aurumtine, without challenge or disruption.
It is said that to be an Aurumite, a citizen of Highshield’s Kingdom, is to believe wholeheartedly in the divine will of the monarchy and the teachings of one’s ancestors. Highshield is founded upon the principles of faith and loyalty, devotion and duty. While most citizens live within the bounds of the kingdom’s laws, it is the military, the knights and their leading lords that truly symbolize that which all Aurumites strive toward. Through their dedication to their kingdom do they manifest their evocation magic, and by doing so do they put on display their faith in Rhyst itself.
The old texts of Highshield have long discussed the problems posed by the Convergence. Civilizations as a whole are threatened by its weight, populations are reduced to nothing, and the world trembles under the collision of the planes. Yet those of Mount Highshield do not view these things as tragically as others may. While Iségrad and Arlandria have spent the better part of the modern age seeking ways to forestall the Convergence, the Aurumites of Highshield embrace it, recognizing what it means to endure.
Clerics and paladins of Mount Highshield draw upon the world around them, they recognize the earthen clay by which it is said mortal bodies were formed and understand that even in death, they will be returned to Rhyst with one form or another. In holding to this faith and union of realizing that they are a part of the world have they founded principles that have lasted generations and discovered the means by which a people could weather the dreadful storms that a Convergence brings.
Today, King Julius Rane III rules the Aurumtine Mountains. After gathering the noblest of his knights did he form the Champions of Rane, a select group of Aurumites that have been tasked with forming the first diplomatic bridges between the kingdom and Rhyst’s other nation states. It is said that the King has found concern over the stalled Convergence that his people have been expecting for 200 years, and a schism has formed between the monarchy and the Ando Order of monks that reside higher on the mountain. Talks of a disagreement in how to address this issue have spurred the King to not only open his gates, but to finally communicate with the rest of the world.
Trivia[edit]
In 1022 AC, King Julius Rane III had held the throne for two decades following the death of his father. He is succeeded by two daughters, the Princesses Theresa and Viola and is married to Queen Vivianne Rane.
While Mount Highshield rules the region, the Aurumites are found primarily in port cities at the base of the mountains and on some smaller villages settled higher on their elevations. The peaks are held only by the Ando Order, the monks who do not consider themselves citizens of the kingdom
The sigil of House Rane and the Kingdom of Highshield consists of two golden triangles stacked atop one another
Credit[edit]
Tattles https://forum.verdict.dev/showthread.php?tid=1249&pid=6809#pid6809