Falena Queendom

[Kai]

Falena Queendom

The Queendom of Falena is a constitutional monarchy located on the northern coast of the Southern continent. Falena shares its borders with the New Armes Kingdom to the southeast and the Nagarea Theocracy to the southwest as well as a naval border with the Island Nations Federation to the north.
Falena can only be ruled by a Queen, hence the name 'Queendom' rather than the traditionally used (even in nations where both genders can take the throne) 'Kingdom'. Each Queen does have a consort, but they are not considered Kings; instead, the husband of the Queen becomes the Commander of the Queen’s Knights and is entrusted with the duty of protecting the Queen. Traditionally, the Queen did not get a choice of who to marry; her hand was given away to the victor of her Sacred Games. However, this practice was abolished following the coronation of Queen Lymsleia Falenas in 450.
The Queendom of Falena has historically shared an uneasy relationship with the nations surrounding it. New Armes and Falena have been at war twice in recent history; prior to the Great Earthquake, relations between Nagarea and Falena were hostile, though now they are simply nonexistent. However, the Queendom does share a relatively friendly relationship with the Island Nations Federation, though it is known that enforced slavery of islanders is common. However, steps have been taken in recent years to outlaw cruelty to slaves, with the eventual goal of abolishing the slave caste completely.
Falena is also known for the Queen's assassins, known as Nether Gate, though they were disbanded by Queen Arshtat, and the Queen's Knights who are entrusted with the protection of the royal family. They are known for the Feitas Dragon Cavalry, a group similar to the Dragon’s Den of Toran. Historically, the Dragon Cavalry have not been a part of the Falenan army and would not respond strictly to her majesty’s call; they would only go to arms when the country has been invaded. Recently, however, relations between the crown and the Feitas Dragon Cavalry have grown closer, with the Dragon Knights even moving some of their forces from Sauronix to the Sun Palace. Falena also has a high amount of Sindar ruins, drawing many treasure seekers to the country.
The capital of Falena is the city of Sol-Falena. A large city, the palace where the royal family is situated is said to shine magnificently in the light of the sun, hence the name of the 'Sun Palace'. This city is actually built on a large lake with bridges connecting the city to the surrounding land.
Other large cities include Stormfist, which served as Falena's capital for centuries prior to the construction of Sol Falena as well as being the traditional home of the Godwin family and Rainwall, the traditional home of the Barows family. Other important towns include Sable, a town that lies on the Falena-Armes border, Doraat, a city with impressive defensive capabilities and Estrise, Falena's main source of trade with the Island Nations Federation.
Falena has been described as a 'water continent', suggesting that a great deal of the area is covered with rivers, lakes and assorted wetlands. The Feitas river runs across the nation, connecting many towns and regions with its offshoots. Most of Falena’s important towns and cities lie upon the Feitas river. As such, travel between towns in the Queendom tends to be swift and without trouble.
Falena was founded after the collapse of the original Armes Kingdom, which had ruled the entire continent. Legends state that one day, a beautiful woman appeared from the sky bearing the Sun Rune in the Lunas region. This woman came from deep within the Asthwal Mountains... Probably from the very ruins Lord Godwin and his followers discovered. She went on to become the first Queen of Falena. Any further details on the origin of this first Queen are unknown. Because she descended from Lunas, it is now known as a holy land and all future Queens must travel there for a purification ritual.
In recent years, the Queendom has been divided by excessive amounts of infighting amongst the nobility. In 438, two sisters fought over the throne, with civil war seemingly inevitable. Assassins were used to murder members of each side, incluing high ranking members such as the husbands of both sisters. Finally the older sister, Shahrewar, surrendered the right of succession to her younger sister, Falzrahm. Upon Falzrahm's coronation as Queen, she had Nether Gate murder Shahrewar to finish the job.
But just two years later, Falzrahm’s reign ended when she died suddenly. The New Armes Kingdom took advantage, invading eastern Falena. They made considerable advance, but Arshtat, Falzram’s daughter and now Queen, united the country and, along with her husband, Ferid, drove back the forces of New Armes. Peace was restored within the country, but there was still a great amount of infighting, especially amongst the two largest factions of the then-Falenan Senate, the Godwins and the Barows, and the crown.
Conflict between the various groups came to a head in 449 when, following his engagement to the then Princess Lysmleia Falenas, Gizel and his father, Marscal Godwin, stormed the Sun Palace in a coup. Both Queen Arshtat and Ferid were killed in the events that followed and the Godwins successfully installed Lymsleia as a puppet Queen, with the Godwins making the decisions behind the throne. They began to carry out a more fascist agenda than those pursued under Arshtat’s rule, going so far as to mount a genocide against the non-human races of Falena in a bid to make a Falena “for Falenans”.
Two members of the Falenas house survived the coup; Sialeeds, Arshtat’s sister, and Prince Freyjadour Falenas, the son of Arshtat and Ferid. They were able to flee the palace alongside one of the Queen’s Knights, Georg Prime. Following an initial alliance with the House of Barows, one that was dissolved following the discovery of several Barows plots against the Queendom and the Prince himself. Establishing a force at Ceras Lake, Freyjadour, with the aid of the strategies of Lucretia Merces, mounted a campaign against the Godwin forces in a civil war for control of the country.

As the war continued, the Godwins, desperate to keep the popular Prince’s forces from overthrowing them, sought help from New Armes, who once again invaded Falena. They, along with the Godwins, managed to capture many of the territories held by the Prince in a two-pronged front, but were overtaken by the Prince’s Loyalist Army and were forced to retreat.
Eventually, the war came to an end with the capture of Sol-Falena, despite a Godwin attempt to eliminate the Loyalist forces by destroying the Sol-Falena dam. Following the wa, Lymsleia Falenas was properly crowned as Queen, this time, no mere puppet. Her reign, though just beginning, has already marked much change in Falena.

Following the fall of both the Godwin and Barows houses, the Senate dissolved itself and, in its place, a Parliament was formed. This time, rather than being dominated by political parties bound by family ties, members were elected from each town in Falena, allowing each of the towns to have their say in government policy.