The Eldorai Star Queens

[Anya Venari]

This is the list of the Eldorai Star Queens. The dates are given both in Eldorai date notation and the traditional ABY dates.
If it becomes necessary more info will be added about these rulers.

Name		Suffex		Start	Finish	Reign	ABY StartABY Finish
Tassaria I	the Liberator	0	45	45	-2293	-2248
Tassaria II	the Unifier	45	154	109	-2248	-2139
Tassaria III			154	294	140	-2139	-1999
Esterlea I			294	415	121	-1999	-1878
Esterlea II			415	579	164	-1878	-1714
Callidora I			579	709	130	-1714	-1584
Callidora II			709	805	96	-1584	-1488
Sylviane I	the Martyr	805	833	28	-1488	-1460
Kihae		the Usurper	833	836	3	-1460	-1457
Sylviane II	the Righteous	836	923	87	-1457	-1370
Sylviane III	the Poet	923	1065	142	-1370	-1228
Anais I				1065	1224	159	-1228	-1069
Anais II	the Conqueror	1224	1386	162	-1069	-907
Anais III	the Unfortunate	1386	1405	19	-907	-888
Callidora III	the Regent	1405	1450	45	-888	-843
Anais IV	the Proud	1450	1466	16	-843	-827
Valeska I	Civil War	1466	1468	2	-827	-825
Tirathana I	Civil War	1468	1477	9	-825	-816
Valeska II	Civil War	1477	1500	23	-816	-793
Tirathana II	Civil War	1500	1505	5	-793	-788
Divya I		Civil War	1505	1508	3	-788	-785
Tirathana III	Civil War	1508	1515	7	-785	-778
Divya II	Civil War	1515	1528	13	-778	-765
Valeska III	Civil War	1528	1531	3	-765	-762
Vaenia I	the Restorer	1531	1618	87	-762	-675
Vaenia II	the Eternal	1618	1874	256	-675	-419
Vaenia III			1874	2057	183	-419	-236
Vaenia IV			2057	2167	110	-236	-126
Silaqui I			2167	2192	25	-126	-101
Silaqui II			2192	2205	13	-101	-88
Ariane I	the Great	2205	2299	94	-88	6
Ariane II	the Diplomat	2299	2495	196	6	202
Ariane III			2495	2507	12	202	214
Maelys I			2507	2667	160	214	374
Tirathana IV			2667	2766	99	374	473
Maelys II			2766	2876	110	473	583
Tirathana V			2876	2991	115	583	698
Tirathana VI			2991	3129	138	698	836
Silaqui III			3129	3131	2	836	838
Tirathana VII	Anya Venari		3131			838

 

[Anya Venari]

From the epitome of:
"A Most Accurate And Detailed History Of The Noble Eldorai Star Queens"
Published 3133AR (840ABY)

An unbroken chain of rule of 40 Queens can be seen back 3132 years, or starting in 2293BBY in galactic terms. Since that time, with some temporary hiccups, the Queens have ruled all the Eldorai people.

The tradition for these Queens is to either take the names of their mother if she was Queen, or to take a name which emphasised what they wanted their rule to be remembered for. Aside from the first Queen, few have kept their own name as their Regnal name. For instance Anya Venari was the birthname of the current queen but her crown name is Tirathana VII in honour of her mother.

Before the Star Queens, Kaeshana was divided into many small nations and states, many of them mutually hostile to each other. In the years before the crowning of Tassaria I the Kar'zun had launched a concerted campaign to conquer much of Kaeshana, and it was the leader of the successful counter attack who was acclaimed Star Queen or 'Queen wherever the stars shine', since the Eldorai thought they were alone in the galaxy at that time.

Part 1 – Foundation and the Cytani Dynasty

• Tassaria I ‘the Liberator’
  Birth name: Tassaria
• Reign Start: 0 (2293BBY)
• Reign Finish: 45 (2248BBY)
• Summary: A period of anarchy on chaos led to the fall of the old order. The old system of many small states had worked well for a time, but under the onslaught of the Kar’zun the system collapsed. The last Queen of Santaissa was killed in the sack of the city, and no central authority could be found to replace her. Into this stepped the High Priestess of Ashira, Tassaria Cytani. Rallying the people of the northern Larquis region she drove back the Kar’zun and was acclaimed Queen and High Priestess. The remainder of her reign was a ceaseless battle to assert her control over the provinces and hold back her enemies. She passed the crown to her oldest daughter Mylae.

[*]Tassaria II ‘the Unifier’

• Birth name: Mylae
• Reign Start: 45 (2248BBY)
• Reign Finish: 154 (2139BBY)
• Reign Length: 109 years
• Summary: With the death of Tassaria I there was much uncertainty. Many nobles, chafing under the unfamiliar control from Santaissa, sought to free themselves. Meanwhile there were many in the priesthood uncomfortable with a Queen also being their leader. Mylae took her mother’s name for her crown name, starting a pattern which still remains to this day. Tassaria II was not forceful like her mother, but was an extremely good diplomat and administrator. Whilst effective control slipped from some regions on the fringe, Tassaria II forged the institutions and laws of the new Matriarchy and ensured it’d survive. She passed the crown to her eldest daughter Vania.

[*]Tassaria III ‘the Pious’

• Birth name: Tassaria
• Reign Start: 154 (2139BBY)
• Reign Finish: 294 (1999BBY)
• Reign Length: 140 years
• Summary: Vania was again very different from her mother and siblings. From childhood she was painfully shy and withdrawn, viewing her older brother Ardivan and her younger sister Esterlea with a mix of suspicion and awe. Some even suggested that either of her siblings be given the crown before Vania, but precedent was fixed and she took her mother’s name. Once Queen, Tassaria III continued her mother’s policy of integration, though usually her sister would negotiate on her behalf. Tassaria III meanwhile became something of an ascetic, living very frugally and becoming extremely pious. The common people loved her, even though they never saw her because of her justice, generosity and conscience. Tassaria III never married and in her later years after her brother and sister died she left much of the running of government to her niece Kaida and retired more and more to the palace. When she died, said niece inherited the throne.

[*]Esterlea I ‘the Vain’

• Birth name: Kaida
• Reign Start: 294 (1999BBY)
• Reign Finish: 415 (1878BBY)
• Reign Length: 121 years
• Summary: Whilst her aunt became more and more lost in pious obscurity, Princess Kaida assumed the reins of government with her husband Vaedus. When she became Queen she took the name Esterlea after her mother. Esterlea was everything her mother was not; outgoing, spendthrift and ostentatious. For many this was a welcome change after the dull piety of her predecessor. Soon though problems started to arise. Esterlea was a vain and rather weak-willed woman, with her husband driving much of what happened whilst his wife lived in opulence. Bad harvests and serious seismic activity caused discontent, not helped by the disputes between the Queen’s children. For an Eldorai, the union of Esterlea and Vaedus was unusually productive, resulting in eight children, five of them girls. As soon as they were old enough they all began to intrigue against each other and their mother. The first real internal discontent begun in this period, and the oldest daughter Ilyse even attempted to overthrow her mother. Esterlea survived though after her husband died she became somewhat reclusive herself. In the end she chose her second daughter Elana to succeed her. The rest of the family were not happy, and trouble soon came of it.

[*]Esterlea II ‘the Sarix’

• Birth name: Elana
• Reign Start: 415 (1878BBY)
• Reign Finish: 579 (1714BBY)
• Reign Length: 164 years
• Summary: Of all the daughters of Esterlea I, Elana seemed the most unlikely to become Queen. She was somewhat wild and disobedient as a child and had been sent to the Angelii when young to make a woman out of her. It certainly succeeded, and Elana spent most of her formative years with the Angelii, fighting Kar’zun and rebels. A powerful Sciian and respected soldier, she was chosen as successor out of the blue. Her older sister Ilyse immediately fomented trouble against the one who had stolen ‘her’ crown, but Esterlea II easily defeated her. To the shock of all the Eldorai, Esterlea made a cruel example of her sister by cutting off her right hand and putting her under permanent house arrest, thus her nickname. This did not entirely end problems, and she was permanently estranged from her family, but despite this she ruled well and strongly. Esterlea II never married, but became lovers with her Chancellor Rinnea. In the end she left the crown to her lover and chief minister, if only to spite her family. Her family obviously resented this but could not end the new dynasty’s grip. Thus ended the Cytani dynasty, which had ruled for 579 years.

 

[Anya Venari]

Part 2 – Consolidation and Strife

• Callidora I ‘the Cunning’
  Birth Name: Rinnea Kaldis
• Reign Start: 579 (1714BBY)
• Reign Finish: 709 (1584BBY)
• Reign Length: 130 years
• Summary: The passing of the crown to Rinnea Kaldis caused major problems as soon as it occurred. To end the dynasty of almost 600 years on a whim whilst there were still legitimate family members to succeed was bound to cause issues. Many suggested that Rinnea abdicate the throne, but she declined. She had gone too far down the path, and she knew she would not survive a vengeful Cytani purge if she did, so she set herself on the path of strife. Adding to her problems were the eight granddaughters of Esterlea I and four grandsons, all of whom thought they deserved the crown more than the usurper. And so the first civil war for the crown was fought. In many ways Rinnea, who took the name ‘Callidora’ (or lawful ruler) was the underdog. Faced by nobles and family members used to the old order, the Queen at one time had to flee Santaissa. However, her exceptional cunning and skills of intrigue came to the fore. She successfully planted doubts in the large yet divided rebel faction, encouraged many to come to her side and was thus able to gain victory. In said victory she was mostly lenient, but two of the claimants were beheaded for treason and the remaining Cytani had to renounce their claims to the throne. After this turbulent start, Callidora’s reign was one of reconciliation and prosperity. Callidora had two daughters and three sons, but worked better with them and left the throne to her daughter Taiya.

[*]Callidora II ‘the Negotiator’

• Birth Name: Taiya
• Reign Start: 709 (1584BBY)
• Reign Finish: 805 (1488BBY)
• Reign Length: 96 years
• Summary: Taiya Kaldis had a close relationship with her mother, and thus took Callidora II as her regnal name. In many ways mother and daughter got on well because they were quite different people. Whilst the mother was cunning, ruthless and driven, the daughter was milder, more genial and gregarious. Thus when she became Queen, Callidora emphasised a less forceful and more peaceful reign. As she was already quite advanced in years when she came to the throne, she also had three daughters of her own. It is perhaps ironic that the more peaceful negotiator would be embroiled in a war which her mother would have relished, but which she hated passionately. With the Kar’zun there had been peace for many decades, but under the rule of a new Queen, a massive invasion into the western settlements was launched and many Eldorai were killed or enslaved. Despite wanting peace, and even pleading for it to the Kar’zun, Callidora was forced to action. No general herself, she had the good fortune and wisdom to find a brilliant young general named Lycea Thran who she trusted with great responsibility. She then worked to create a coalition of her other nobles and soldiers to support her choice. Thus the Eldorai marched to war and scored some stunning successes. However, the war dragged on without decisive result and became a struggle of raids and sieges which devastated the people. Bringing both sides to the table, she crafted a treaty which lasted for over four centuries between Eldorai and Kar’zun. Content at last, and extremely old for an Eldorai, she left the throne to her granddaughter Sylviane.

[*]Sylviane I ‘the Martyr’

• Birth Name: Sylviane
• Reign Start: 805 (1488BBY)
• Reign Finish: 833 (1460BBY)
• Reign Length: 28 years
• Summary: The granddaughter of the previous queen, Sylviane grew up only to lose her mother quite early, and then to assume the throne only just into adulthood. Thus the throne passed from a very old to a very young Queen, with predictable problems. Sylviane’s relatively short and tragic reign got off to a bad start when she elected to keep her birth name rather than that of her mother or other abstract title. However, wilful and determined to be her own woman at last, Sylviane brushed aside objections and took the name which meant ‘Forest lover’. Painfully shy and unsure of herself, the young Queen developed an extremely touchy and unyielding personality. However, she also craved acceptance and approval from those around her, and this left her prey to those who might work on her naïveté. Two such people to exploit this was Danessa Thran and her brother Aridan, both children of the general from the previous reign. With Aridan having an influential position in the government and Danessa in the army, they got themselves into Sylviane’s good graces with flattery and genuine skill in their roles. Initially taken by them, the Queen soon came to rely on their counsel, to the extent that she banished her sister Marjorai and placed her cousin under house arrest where the latter died under mysterious circumstances. However, Slyviane was not stupid, and her mood had turned against her over-mighty subjects, but before she could act she was murdered by Danessa in her bath. Since Sylviane had declared Danessa her regent until her infant niece came of age before this, Danessa took the throne just as Callidora had done centuries before. This time though they were facing a rather different opponent than the disjointed Cytani….

[*]Kihae I ‘the Usurper’

• Birth Name: Danessa Thran
• Reign Start: 833 (1460BBY)
• Reign Finish: 836 (1457BBY)
• Reign Length: 3 years
• Summary: Danessa’s climb up the ladder to royalty was one for which she deserves some credit. Coming from a minor noble background she had advanced her family even further than her mother and placed herself on the throne, just like the Kaldis family had before. However, this time she had murdered her predecessor and everyone knew it, though saying as much would earn one instant execution. Danessa took the regnal name Kihae, which meant tranquil; it was to be proven utterly incorrect. At the start of her reign, Kihae made a fatal blunder; she failed to capture Sylvaine’s younger sister Marjorai, who fled and raised rebellion against the usurper. Kihae was forced immediately to deal with this threat, and found her own support wavering, yet she managed to resist for almost 3 years. In that time, as her hold on power diminished, she became increasingly desperate and tyrannical. Finally, her army was defeated in battle and the Queen was betrayed to Marjorai who tore the crown from Kihae’s head and placed it on her own, then ordered the deposed Queen to be ritually executed as a regicide. Aridan escaped this fate only by committing suicide, but his head was still placed on a pike beside his sisters. The usurpation was over.

[*]Sylvaine II ‘the Righteous’

• Birth Name: Marjorai Kaldis
• Reign Start: 836 (1457BBY)
• Reign Finish: 923 (1370BBY)
• Reign Length: 87 years
• Summary: It would be fair to say that Marjorai and Sylvaine were as different as two siblings could be. One shy, awkward and lacking confidence, the other intense, passionate and fearless. Marjorai had a frustrating and troubled childhood, being sent off to the Angelii after her mother died and later when her sister became Queen she found herself viewed with suspicion and envy. Banished, she travelled to the far north, into the deep forests, but found such a life unappealing and returned in defiance of her sister’s orders. When her sister was murdered she was tipped off that she was in danger and fled, raising the standard of rebellion. Unlike the previous civil war, this time there was one leader and the Princess took the field herself, leading a crusade to avenge her fallen sister, who she called a Martyr of Ashira. When she was at last victorious, she had the usurper cruelly put to death, and purged many supporters. However, once vengeance was achieved she proved to be a moderate ruler, taking the regnal name of her sister to make a point. Her husband Aedan proved a calming influence on her, and her reign afterwards was generally peaceful. Sylvaine in her later life became quite miserly, raising new taxes and amassing a considerable surplus. This did not exactly make her popular, but general prosperity meant it was overlooked. The Queen struggled with family matters though, like all her family, finding her daughter more like her sister than her. Her attempts to elevate a younger daughter instead failed when that girl died, leading to an estrangement between Nadia and Sylvaine. When she died she was still relatively young, but left the Matriarchy greatly strengthened.

[*]Sylvaine III ‘the Poet’

• Birth Name: Nadia
• Reign Start: 923 (1370BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1065 (1228BBY)
• Reign Length: 142 years
• Summary: Nadia Kaldis took much more after her aunt, the martyred Sylviane I than her mother. Despite her rocky relations with her mother they reconciled somewhat before her death, and Nadia took the regnal name of her mother and aunt to honour them. Sylvaine kept her father Aedan as a key advisor, and many of her mother’s ministers as well. Indeed, she left much of the daily business of government to them whilst she performed her own pursuits. One of her first acts, over the objections of these advisors, was to remit some of the taxes her mother had raised in her least years. She also spent lavishly on public works, art and festivals. It was Sylviane III who raised the first version of the now famous white ziggurat in Santaissa, and began the beautification of the city. However, vast costs with reduced income soon led to a financial crisis. The Queen actually listened to advice and sought creative measures. One means was to sponsor mining and colonisation in the hopes of striking it rich. Whilst some of these expeditions had some success, overall it was largely fruitless. In order to stabilise the finances therefore the Queen in later life undertook a great survey and increased taxes on the wealthier classes which caused many problems. When a noble uprising was put down, the Queen’s daughter and heir Anais had several executed without trial, an embarrassment for her mother. Venal sales of offices, currency devaluation and inflation marked the rest of the reign, but Sylviane was remembered well at the time for her common touch, and for her artistic legacy. Many of the most famous ancient popular songs came from her time, some even written by her personally. She left the throne to her rather different daughter Anais.

[*]Anais I ‘the Zealous’

• Birth Name: Anais
• Reign Start: 1065 (1228BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1228 (1069BBY)
• Reign Length: 159 years
• Summary: In many ways Anais I’s reign marked a turning point in the history of the Matriarchy. To this point the Queens had been mostly that, secular rulers with a religious veneer, but from this point on the Star Queens would truly become a force as both religious and secular rulers. Anais Kaldis was the eldest daughter of Sylvaine III, but fittingly took more after her grandmother. Perhaps remembering her own troubles though, Sylvaine III tried to act moderately with her daughter, even when Anais frequently embarrassed her. Somewhere around early adulthood Anais had a religious experience, and when she took the throne she kept her own name to set herself apart from her mother and other family. Left with a deteriorating financial system, noble rebellions and natural disasters, Anais believed that it was a judgement from Ashira and set to work reforming and remaking the Eldorai and the Matriarchy. After a noble rebellion Anais confiscated the properties of all those involved, and enforced a new formula on her priestesses which had to be followed on pain of expulsion. It is from this time that some of the more unfortunately cruel and inhumane punishments entered common use, coinciding with the introduction of the infamous Investigators. These Investigators, rightly the ‘Investigators of Ashira’s Truth’, were a full-fledged inquisition to root out heretics and other enemies of the state. She also opened the infamous ‘Island of Fallen Angels’ to house political prisoners. Unexpectedly, Anais had good relations with her daughter and successor Calixus, with the two united in their determination for conformity. Calixus led her mother’s armies to pacify and control with skill and loyalty so that when Anais finally died the transition of power was smooth. Anais’ remaking of the Matriarchy would have long term consequences for the future, both good and bad.

[*]Anais II ‘the Conqueror’

• Birth Name: Calixus
• Reign Start: 1224 (1069BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1386 (907BBY)
• Reign Length: 162 years
• Summary: In many ways Calixus and her mother were a perfect team. The mother kept a lid on matters at home whilst her daughter imposed their new order abroad. When her mother died Calixus took the name Anais after her mother and immediately set to work expanding and strengthening her position. The Matriarchy’s finances and stability were still less than perfect, so Anais decided to unify her people around a war with the Kar’zun. Her sudden and unprovoked assault was highly successfully, striking at a time of disunity amongst her enemies. Her victories were greater than any Eldorai before, and she extracted vast tribute from her enemies to fix her finances. The Kar’zun did not forget this though, and their revenge would eventually come back to haunt the Eldorai. Meanwhile Anais moved against internal enemies, actively consolidating and bringing remote regions fully under her control. Many areas in the periphery had no even ceremonial submission to the Queen. Anais changed that by launching bi-yearly campaigns until virtually all of the Eldorai in Kaeshana bowed to the Star Queen. Famously brave and ruthless she earned the name ‘the Conqueror, but to her soldiers she was ‘the Dragon’. With her conquests and plunder she could afford monumental building programs to aggrandise her power, and when she died the Matriarchy’s power was at one of its greatest crests. However, in hindsight, Anais’ warmongering had set in motion dangerous forces which would trouble her descendants and subjects for generations.

[*]Anais III ‘the Unfortunate’

• Birth Name: Elayne
• Reign Start: 1386 (907BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1405 (888BBY)
• Reign Length: 19 years
• Summary: Being the daughter of the great conqueror brought a lot of expectations for young Elayne. Actually the youngest of her mother’s children, Elayne was the last left standing after her mother’s long rule. Anais was widely considered one of the most beautiful Eldorai of her age, and seemed to match mercy with the stern new realities of her mother and grandmother. Coming to the throne relatively young, she married a handsome nobleman named Caradoc. With ruling experience and a powerful intellect she seemed like she would guide the Matriarchy to new heights. Sadly, fate intervened here and after having given birth to a son and a daughter she was a procession across the inner sea when a storm sprung up. Her ship foundered on rocks in the tempest and all but one servant were drowned in the tragedy. For generations afterwards that site would be known as ‘Queen’s Shoals’. She left a five year old baby as her only direct heir, and a regency to direct it.

[*]Callidora III ‘the Regent’

• Birth Name: Lavina
• Reign Start: 1405 (888BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1450 (843BBY)
• Reign Length: 45 years
• Summary: With the death of Anias III the Matriarchy was faced with an unexpected situation; a regency. With no other direct legitimate heir available a lot of hopes were placed in young Celestyne once she grew up. In the meantime her great aunt Lavina, a trusted minister in both her mother and grandmother’s courts was made regent. Lavina was the ideal choice, well known for her prudence, diplomacy and common sense. She swore to step down as regent once Celestyne reached her 50th birthday, and in due time she did just that. She took the regnal name Callidora to show she was legitimately the regent. As a ruler, despite her good qualities Callidora saw her role as a placeholder, to keep things together for her young charge. As such, she pushed few new initiatives, and undertook few reforms or policies other than to continue those started by her predecessors. She did nothing to stop the relative decline of the army or the growth of factions as she was a woman of rigid priorities. When some started to see worrying signs in Celestyne they begged Callidora to retain the throne, but she would not hear of it, and in any case she was old and childless. When her grandniece’s 50th birthday came Callidora abdicated the throne and retired to a villa and was dead within two years. She had trod water for many years and now the fruits of this inaction would ripen dangerously.

[*]Anais IV ‘the Proud’

• Birth Name: Celestyne
• Reign Start: 1450 (843BBY)
• Reign Finish: 1466 (827BBY)
• Reign Length: 16 years

[SIZE=11pt]Summary: Much blame has come to settle on Anais IV for bringing about the chaos of the Time of Troubles, but this is perhaps unfair. After all she never intended for the following chaos to happen and if her personality was flawed the actions of others also contributed to the disaster. Having said that, Celestyne, who became Anais IV on her coronation, certainly did not help herself. Growing from infancy with massive expectations upon her, but also near unlimited power created a somewhat unstable person. Proud and arrogant, Anais quickly came to view any dissent as disloyalty and strictly cracked down on all such ‘opposition’. Her attempts to control the noble factions which had grown up in the previous years met with strong opposition quickly leading to the brink of civil strife. From afar the Kar’zun had seen this, and long nurturing a desire for revenge for the war of Anais II, eagerly aided these factions. Heavy taxation to pay for repressive measures and the increasing size of the Investigators led to uprisings and general chaos. In only her fifteenth year as Queen, the Kar’zun unleashed their long prepared onslaught, and Anais’ forces melted away. Seeing their chance, a conspiracy of nobles led by Valeska Masana deposed the Queen, and after avenging themselves on her for her insults, they murdered her. Valeska seized the throne, a usurper, and thus ending a succession of Kaldis leaders who had gone back nearly 900 years. What followed was a period of widespread chaos which almost destroyed the Matriarchy and changed Eldorai society forever.[/SIZE]

 

[Anya Venari]

(More to follow. Please do not reply here.)