In the days of the Magnapuri Empire, Vagaur was a minor city in Cunabulum too inland and mountainous to be too influential in imperial politics, known mainly for its goat wool and tin mines. It was granted as a minor Rajdom to a favoured and unmarried consort of Magnus the Quiet belonging to the Blackapple family, and was inherited exclusively by her female descendants.
In 1008 YM, Vaia, a younger Blackapple daughter, married Menveg "the Bloody Bastard" against her mother's wishes, in spite of her pre-existing bastard daughter Downpour - it is unknown if it was a marriage of convenience for her political aspirations, or if perhaps there was more emotion in the match. In the chaos following the Burning of the Book of Names and collapse of the Empire, the Bloody Bastard claimed for his wife the Rajdom of Vagaur and staged a quick invasion at the head of the Unnamed Sons, deposing and likely murdering her older sister.
Vaia ruled Vagaur as a vassal of Menveg and then their son Raja Wroth for almost a century, until her death in 1097 YM. At this point, Raja Wroth claimed Vagaur as his inheritance in a move characteristic of both Menveg and his descendants, following the laws of traditional Magnapuri succession. However, various legal technicalities and a few conniving bureaucrats suggested instead that Downpour Blackapple should inherit. The region around Vagaur swiftly declared for Downpour, who had resided there for much of her early life, as opposed to Wroth who had scarcely visited for more than a few bells. The Inheritance of Vagaur as the event was known did not just name Downpour as direct ruler, but led to the area no longer paying homage to the Pundran Magnacy at all, becoming independent once more. Wroth tolerated this with ill grace, as he could not start war on a third front with his ongoing conflicts with the Men of Metal and Ikand Rajdom. Upon Wroth's death, his son Magnus the Flaccid did not lay any further claim to the Rajdom and has made no overtly aggressive moves against the Blackapples.
Downpour Blackapple was significantly influenced by the Men of Metal early in life, and sympathised with and later converted to Masculism, though unusually for a Masculist did not move her titles away from matrilineal inheritance. Before her ascendancy to Rani, she was involved in the crusades for Jhakhar, Bajaur and Bostapur, and her powerful magical abilities and capacity for violence had her often referred to as "the Red Downpour" or "Violent Rain" - in one particularly notable instance, she summoned a storm that drenched an enemy army in a rain of blood. In her older age as Rani, she campaigned to the Grandfather of the Men of Metal for the right to launch a crusade against the Sudhrai Rajdom (which later would proclaim to be a Magnacy), though has repeatedly been denied for fear of Vagaur ending up significantly more powerful than the Men of Metal. She has also been involved on the periphery of the Swamp Wars, lending some troops and coin to both sides, though this has largely seemed to be an effort to prolong the conflict between her fellow (if misguided) Bookburner in Ikandore and heathen grand nephew in Pundrapur.