Reserve

History

The capital city of the Vostrokan Kingdom is called Reserve and it serves as the last standing stronghold of civilization. It originally started as a haphazard collection of tents and shacks but, as it was decided that Neuro needed to resettle and grow, more permanent structures were set into place. Homes and archives and farms turned what had been a place of tragedy and triumph into a new beginning and, in honor of the survivors from all the former nations of Neuro, it was dubbed Reserve.

Vostraka was initially led by a small governing council with elected representatives from each race to voice concerns and grievances for their people. Initially it worked fairly well but as new challenges arose, politics took priority over the good of the people. In one particularly heated council session, it was proposed and voted that the dwarves would become a foodsource should that season's crops fail. Naturally, the dwarves took great offense to this and budding Reserve almost saw it's first civil war before it was even properly built.

After some deliberation, it was decided that a council was not sufficient to ensure balance and wisdom, and so it was put to the citizens to elect a reigning representative whose powers would be supplemented by the council itself. In the year S.18, former Professor Atrius Norvald was elected to this position and was declared the first High Councilor of Vostraka. It was his duty to ensure that the council's time was not wasted on petty matters and often spearheaded the issues of the people himself, relying then on the council to advise him on how to approach and solve said issues. A balance was struck between the two powers and while it was not perfect, for the flaws of mortals show themselves stronger when power comes into play, Vostraka was able to grow towards prosperity.

High Councilor Atrius Norvald was an elf rumored to have once been a member of the fabled Guardians. His efforts were focused almost strictly on obtaining and maintaining resources and food and under his guidance, a great windmill that drew water from underground lakes to irrigate farmland was constructed. He was also able to send scouts and couriers into Harracktor in an attempt to locate the Sacred Sword and was ultimately credited for bringing the Order into Reserve. Efforts to locate the Templar Order of Naturelles failed, however, as it was presumed that the whole of the order was destroyed with the rest of Naturelles.

Shortly after the year S.54, Atrius fell into ill health. He was becoming an old and frail elf and so he stepped down from the position while he could still assist in getting a new chosen leader into place. So beloved was he and in so high spirits were the people that it was decided that the post of High Councilor would instead, following old traditions, become King of the nation. Atrius had no children so the succession would not stay within his family. Instead, a young human named Lance Harrigan was elected and crowned King of Vostraka. Atrius served as an adviser in addition to the Council until his death in the year S.59.

Lance, though young, had served with honor and distinction as a knight of the Sacred Swords and was extremely popular with the citizens of Reserve. His father had served in the Sacred Swords until his death in a fairly recent skirmish and so Lance had taken a keen interest in military affairs. Norvald's efforts helped usher an era of self-sustenance in Vostraka, nearly wiping out famine within the kingdom's boundaries, but the military had taken a backseat.

Many years after it was formally built, the legendary Sacred Sword and the stone it was encased in were secured and brought from the ruins of Xanadu where it was feared it might fall into the hands of the Swansong. Upon its arrival, the few remaining vanguards of the Order of the Sacred Sword took a new oath to protect the Sword, the King, and the nations of Vostraka. The Order was re-established in Reserve.

With Lance's help, the Order of the Sacred Sword saw a return to prominence and battles between Swansong ambushers grew fewer and fewer. The final great battle, which finally saw the Vostrakans outnumber and outmatch the Swansong, sent the horde back to where they had originally come: the chasm that swallowed Naturelles now known as the Valley of Bones. This victory helped cement Lance's popularity and won the hearts of the people.

Tragedy struck when in the year S.79, Lance was found dead within his bedchambers by his wife, then Queen Mariam Harrigan. The details of the manner of his death were never publicly disclosed but rumor quickly spread of a group of shady characters who called themselves the Children of Artheemius. Little solid information had been found regarding the group aside from an anonymous letter claiming responsibility for the assassination.

Lance and Mariam did have a son, however the young prince was but 8 years old at the time and it was agreed upon between the council and Her Majesty that he would not be ready to rule in any capacity. The suddenly vacant throne was highly sought after as countless men from all over the kingdom thought themselves as eligible suitors to proclaim the recently widowed Queen as their wife. The council played their own part in pressuring Mariam to remarry and over the course of the next two years, it seemed as though Her Majesty was doing everything she

Reserve

could to attempt to draw herself and her son out of the spotlight. Finally, in late S.81, she formally rescinded all ties to the crown, citing fear for the safety of her only son as more than sufficient reason to step away from her position. She took no husband, living out the rest of her days in mourning.

A new election was held not long after. Suddenly the throne was a dangerous place to be and so candidates who wanted to risk their lives knowing full well that there were assassins watching the crown were few and far between. In the same year S.81 a new King was crowned, one Aonghas Dhomhnuill. He currently rules with his wife, Marie.

The Mage's College also is located in Reserve and houses magical books, relics, and artifacts that survived the Calamity. Up and coming mages are carefully preened and trained here in the arts of combat and supportive magics for use in the defense of the kingdom. Out of necessity, nearly all citizens with latent magical abilities are at least interviewed for potential training but attendance has not been declared mandatory.