Post by Harliven Darkshine on Aug 20, 2008 18:11:07 GMT -5
[/b][/u][/center]THE COURT OF SEVEN SHADOW LORDS
OVERVIEW:
After the reign of Arachne de la Mort, Silvanus was enticed into civil war; rotting from the inside, the woods were ironclad and isolated from contact with the other Dustanovian nations. Several noble families found themselves plunged into the world of rebellion and deceit as the King vanished amongst their ranks and formed a 'Shadow Court' in the Black Woods of Silvanus with the help of his most notable accomplices; these seven were known as the 'Shadow Lords of Silvanus', and their blood descendants still hold court in the Black Wood to this day. Due to their code declaration - the 'Closed Chamber' - the Shadow Court is often more active at dusk as opposed to dawn; though the elves crave light, it is out of respect for vampire associates - and in honor of the lives all the races are prone to taking - that they deny their fixation with sunlight and instead thrive by the moon.
Amongst the world it crafts for itself, the Shadow Court is known for its brutal affinity to predators; wolves, wild cats, hunting birds - rarely even bears. Somehow, the elves have developed a pact with these creatures almost as familiars; it isn't uncommon to see wolves in the roadways or lynxes curled, untamed, by a Lord's boot-clad ankles. It is said the more formidable the beast, the greater status you have; the ability to have communication with a predatory animal is associated almost in the same way as wealth, profession, and clothes. Often, it's said that monthly wolf-hunts are publically arranged, in which their familiars become a temporary pack and hunt alongside the elves, who are known to hold it sacred never to harm another animal unless absolutely necessary; this is considered with great contempt outside of Shadow Court, yet the Shadow Lords pass a blind eye over this, insisting that even humans devour meat, and that it should be no crime to accompany familiars outside of the Court.
Though widely assumed to be a poor and lawless area of Silvanus, the Shadow Court is perhaps the greatest contradiction to the human trait of assumption; it is contradictorily one of the safest, and most dangerous places in Dustanova. Though in the past demons were technically disallowed to travel outside of Cimmerii, the Shadow Lords have always been daringly inclined to smuggle trade with them, and allow them into the Black Wood - but only if they were capable of skirting border patrol. The one law of utmost importance in the Night Court details along the lines of, "One caught is one forfeit." Though the Lords are known to be masters of illegal trade, smuggling, assassination, press-ganging and so forth, as long as a crime cannot be traced back to an individual, they're considered free men.
More recently, the Night Court has become a feared area of mobilization as they ruthlessly ready their blood-hungry tongues for potential attacks from demons and vampires alike; the Black Guilds have mutated from their original formats and the once subtle defensive and protective spells which warded off demonic will and supernatural, alien power now have intensified into offensive magicks that threaten to seek and annihilate all threats. The once outlawed magical researches of the Court are now being utilized actively to destroy any being with a which to reproach the Court King's hospitality, and the eyes of the ruling beings are delighted and excited at any sign that might trigger a show of their own forceful hand. Recently enough, a new company is being formed within the Black Court known as the Seventy-Two Theatrics fostered by the artificial immortal, Lady Katalina Feytalie, of the assassin's guild. They, like many other Court powers, have long tempered the opponent by slipping their hand into desecrating the opposition of the Queen's Court.
HISTORY:
Originally the core of the rebellion against Arachne, these key Lords found potential democracy shattered to shambles and instead found a ring of Lord Protectors forcing their influence back into the recesses of time. In an attempt to maintain both status and wealth, the Shadow Lords contrived to move themselves and their closest to the Black Wood which was, at the time, a rich and untamed stretch of Wood in which several of them had land, and in which the rest bought it out.
When it became clear that their Wood was tearing itself apart, it also became clear that these once noble people were falling into darker means all for the sake of 'The Greater Good'. Oddly, they felt no shame in how they breached the laws, saying that the men before them committed some great treason to the nation, and that in the now lawlessness was the only way to initiate battle.
In the meanwhile, one of the Lords took under his wing a mighty protégé, known as Gavrouche by the commoners. A street urchin with a noble stature and stingingly honorable soul, the lad was solemn and wise, pleading - somehow with great dignity - shelter at his table. As time grew on and Gavrouche's traits became apparent, the other Shadow Lords converged on him, and the boy rose to become a great and mighty man, not above lawlessness but understanding it, and fighting against the threat of succumbing to true evils. The Shadow Lords gave him a new name and title, and pushed the charismatic orphan - and the old beggar who cared for him, and who had advised him with great wisdom thus far - to the forefront.
King Eldrien IV, also known as Eldrien the Cunning, was no longer Gavrouche the Orphan. Instead, they gave him a dubbance of great honor - Darkshine, obvious in its meaning, a collision of rare English which wasn't widely spread at that point in history. Through great obstacles, the Shadow Lords supported this new Darkshine monarch, before fading abruptly into the course of history, never to be seen at the forefront of things again. However, it is perhaps for this reason that the Darkshine nobility have always grown to see, with solemn absence, the true meaning of Shadow Court's ends; because it was taught from a noble forefather from a lawless place.
Romanticized legends and insistent historians greatly encourage the idea that Eldrien IV was the grandson of Arachne de la Mort, and the wise beggar - who later became a powerful crown advisor, and was rumored to be biding his time for the moment to strike - Jacques de l'Alok, his father.
CODES OF THE COURT:
"One caught, one forfeit."//; Though the respective Lord of rule devotes himself to keeping his men safe, if an official catches a man knowledgeably smuggling goods, fraternizing with illegal vampires or demons, or in the assassination of a Silvanus noble (or otherwise), and has seemingly foolproof evidence on the matter, the Shadow Lords will amiably forfeit said accused's life; careless men are unnecessary burdens.
"Citizens out of garb."//; This code is usually meant in response to assassins; many belonging to the guild in question are entitled lives with humane rights and allowances. Permitted to have legitimate side-jobs beneath law, assassins out of uniform may not be harmed in anyway; if caught during duty, their lives are forfeit. However, murder must always be done wearing the appointed garb, which says something about the straightforward nature of Silvanus's guild; the penalty for murder in plains-clothes is public whipping and death, either being burned at the stake or drawn and quartered.
"The Rights of Mann."//; This code was recently enforced after the murder of Josephine; while vampires have been widely welcomed into association with the Shadow Lords as personal guests, more of the amusingly self-righteous 'exiles' claimed prejudice on them during the scorch-mark massacres, and in the aftermath of the Great War. 'Leech-hunting' became a very popular sport as - as long as one didn't incapacitate them, or plunge silver into their hearts - the subject always lived. Of course, this was a breach in Dustanovian code, being the torment of a Citizen, and the Shadow Lords came down harshly upon it. Whereas it would be relevant to a human caught rooster-fighting elsewhere, the Night Court is very particular about this law; offenders are given trial by 'Soup' and by 'Cake', neither of which are pleasant experiences nor in the least fair, and are stoned to 'near-death'; the vampire or demon (the Night Court likewise discourages lynch-mobbing) may choose what to do with the culprits in this pathetic state. Often times, this is ensured enforcement by the King (currently, Prince Harliven).
"Inquiries Withheld."//; It is intolerable for an outsider of the Night Court to make inquiries of Citizens; only the Shadow Lords and Guild Leaders are permitted to divulge information to outsiders.
"Pride of the Sign."//; Never to be removed, Court members identify themselves by the guild amulets and insignias given to fully-fledged members and forged by sworn rogue-smiths. Certain guilds prefer branding/tattooes.
"Closed Chambers."//; An intriguing aspect of the code, refuge must be given to any Demon, Human, or Vampire who requests it; otherwise, aid must be given to showing them to one of the seven ruling Lords, who hold no discrimination against race. In these events, no matter what situation, doors must be closed to any official seeking the vampire/demon/human pleading aid, and chambers shut down to keep sunlight from a vampire's gaze. Eyes must be averted in the case of a vampire's feeding, and judgment turned the other way, but any other aspect of harm caused on Night Court territory is punished terribly as a breach of their hospitality. In the case of death concerning any sort of end (even that of a punishment or Feeding, citizen of the Court or outsider), the morning after will include 'closed doors' until evening, and activity is halted. The tests of recent times, however, rarely bring this aspect into code into action; every mercenary eye is on the hide of those threats to Silvanus manipulated by the Ardentia Empire and so demons and vampires can not count on elfin hospitality as it once could should they try to enter into the pre-established circles of the rogue demons and vampires which have slyly sworn oath to the now warrior Court. Mostly, the Night Court has become an acting refuge for rebel and deserting Ardentians, and is the first step for any intellectual outsider wishing to pursue a life within the Mercaellian Monastery.
"To the King's Crown, We Yield."//; This is perhaps the most fearful law of Court, and the most sacred. Despite the fact that lawless men live ordered lives in the Night Court, that every blood-lusting individual is permitted refuge here, and that the exiles are sent to the Black Wood without care... This is the one redeeming quality of these men. They will yield to any direct order by the King's Crown, unless it breaks the code of the Darkshine royalty completely and totally. Furthermore, the Night Court being distinctly patriarchal (or at least, in respects to the Shadow Lords), they will follow the order of a King's male heir, or the King himself; as in current example, the Court is especially detached from Queen Oriel, instead preferring to associate themselves with her younger brother, Prince Harliven.[/blockquote][/size]