The Kingdom of Valarion was founded during the Third Age (Age of the Elves) by House Valarion, after their exile from the Vanir high society of Itelion (in Tolria). At its heart was King Athelstan Valarion, a once-revered Vanir noble who consorted with a cabal of vampiric followers loyal to the Night Mother Nyx and drank from a chalice of her blood, thereby birthing the Valar race—immortals torn between the radiance of the Vanir and the shadowed curse of undeath. When the secrets of this blood pact spread, the aristocracy of Itelion turned on the cabal of vampiric Vanir who had followed Athelstan. Branded as abominations, they were hunted and exiiled.
With a fleet of ships and a following of persecuted kin, Athelstan led a great exodus across the eastern sea. Many perished in the voyage, including his beloved wife Seralyth Vaenyra, whose loss would forever stain the Valar's foundation with sorrow. After weeks of mist-choked navigation, the surviving exiles found landfall—an eerie and beautiful place wrapped in autumnal woodlands, shrouded cliffs, and brooding onyx mountains. This would become The Immortal Isle, and it was here that the Kingdom of Valarion was born, with the founding of its capital, Valheim, nestled against the cliffs of the western coast.
History
Exile from Itelion - In the latter centuries of the Third Age, Athelstan Valarion—then a prominent noble of Vanir high society in Itelion—sought forbidden power. Joining a secret cabal of Vanir aristocrats who dared to sip from the cursed chalice of Nyx, goddess of curses, Athelstan drank of her blood. In doing so, he birthed a new immortal lineage: the Valar, cursed to eternal life and apathetic existence, unable to feel or die as mortals do.
When the secret of the cabal was discovered, Itelion erupted in outrage. Labeled abominations, the Valar were hunted, their families slaughtered, and their names condemned. Athelstan led a voyage east across the eastern seas, seeking sanctuary. Many perished—including his wife, Seralyth Vaenyra—but those who endured made landfall on what would become the Immortal Isle.
Founding of the Kingdom - Upon settling, Athelstan and his son (the now King Cyrus Valarion) established the city of Valheim and built their gothic sanctuary high on the Onyx Mountains: the Spire of Valarion. From here, they proclaimed the founding of the Kingdom of Valarion, vowing to build a society untouched by the prejudices of the old world. Over centuries, their people flourished—not in numbers, but in culture, craft, and artistry.
The Curse of Nyx - Though immortal, the Valar paid a heavy price. Nyx’s curse shrouded the isle in perpetual grey fog. The sea became their prison—any Valar who died attempting escape would rise as a Draugr, cursed revenants bound to destroy the living. The hexed crown, bestowed upon Athelstan by Nyx, bound their fates. After Athelstan threw himself off Crown's End into the sea in guilt, the curse worsened: the Valar were made truly undying, unable to perish or even feel the full weight of pain.
In the Fifth Age, the curse was finally broken when the long-lost crown was recovered from the Abythis Sea Trench by the dwarven sailor Edward O'Bannon, and shattered after the fall of the World Eater Serpent. Yet even with the curse lifted, the legacy of the Valar remains etched in sorrow.
Society & Culture
Monarchy - The kingdom is a monarchic aristocracy, ruled by the reigning sovereign of House Valarion. The current monarch, King Cyrus Valarion, is both sovereign and scholar, having led the kingdom through a long age of quiet resilience, cultural renaissance, and calculated defiance.
Noble Lineage - The noble bloodlines of the Valar are few but ancient, tracing their descent directly from the original cabal exiled from Itelion. Each noble family governs a district within the Immortal Isle and contributes artisans, sailors, scholars, or warriors to the kingdom’s cause.
Culture - The Valar prize art, memory, and sorrow. Their immortality has dulled the sweetness of life, and many seek meaning through painting, poetry, music, and architectural mastery. Though they immune to the sun (unlike traditional Vampire), their culture is deeply engrained in the nocturne, and most of their rituals and celebrations take place under moonlight or within candlelit marble halls due to their shunned history.
Military & Naval Might
The Veiled Fleet - The Valar are unparalleled sailors, their immortal crews manning sleek black vessels equipped for both war and exploration. Their ships glide silently through the sea-mists, earning them the moniker Ghost Armada.
The Pale Guard - Sworn to the defense of the crown and its sacred lands, the Pale Guard are elite immortal warriors clad in blackened armor, crowned with white veils and sallet helms. Upon their breastplate is the sigil of the Pale Rose—the emblem of the kingdom, symbolizing eternal beauty caught in sorrow. The Pale Guard are often stationed at Temple Isle, Valheim, and aboard the Kingdom’s war-fleet.
Knights of the Ebon Order - Their elite warriors, clad in midnight plate and wielding weapons forged from obsidian and silver, are few but terrifyingly disciplined. The Ebon Order swears their swords to the throne and to Deimos himself.
The Onyx Brood - House Valarion’s greatest strength lies with their Onyx Dragon—descendants of the ancient Terran Drake. Each heir must bond with one to earn their title. Umbryx, bonded to King Cyrus, is the largest known specimen.
Relations & Foreign Affairs
The Aerenal Accord - After centuries of bitter hatred, the Valar recently brokered peace with the Vanir of Aerenal, thanks to Guy the Grateful and Septimus Lucien. This diplomatic pact is fragile but historic, ending a centuries-long blood feud.
Isolation & Observation - While the Valar rarely leave their isle, they are avid observers of world affairs. Scholars, sailors, and spies report on distant lands, keeping the Valar ever-watchful of Tolria’s changing tides.
Legacy
The Kingdom of Valarion is a paradox: a nation of immortals who long for death's embrace, a society of aristocrats shunned by their birthright, a people cursed and yet glorious. Though time forgets many nations, the Valar endure—cloaked in fog, wreathed in sorrow, yet undiminished.