Tiyla the Blessed
Chosen of God
Blessed of the Faith, Queen of the Hartilians Tiyla Pentiwichen
Long had she reigned and not once did the people tire of her rule. So just and devout was her realm that petty lords from foreign lands came to kneel voluntarily and without demands of their own.
Early Life
The fires of adversity forged a remarkable leader of men, one chosen by god herself!Records concerning Tiyla’s humble origins are scarce as the pain of her childhood prevented the queen from revealing much. What is known is that she and her parents had hailed from a small and irrelevant village in the Fields of Penti, a land covered in lavenders. The settlement was fairly independent, only paying the occasional tribute to either the Kingdom of Motilich or the war-bands of Wehorian raiders that plagued the region. Tiyla’s parents were likely either shepherds or farmers and their names were unfortunately lost to time. If the queen had remembered her parents, then the knowledge of their names had died with her.
Fields of Blood
The calm and mundane life that Tiyla enjoyed with her parents changed unexpectedly one day when a group of Wehorian came with wicked blades in hand. They began their slaughter without warning, unwilling to claim the tributes that the locals had prepared for them. As houses were set aflame, neighbours and friends cut down indiscriminately, Tiyla hid in the dense fields of lavender that grew beside her home. There, frozen in grief and fear, she saw her own parents brutally pushed through their front door as the vile men lit the building on fire. Quietly, she crawled away, even if in her heart she sought to stay with the home she had always known and loved. Later in life, she would claim that a will other than her own had urged her to move, saving her from certain death or capture. Tiyla crawled and ran as far as her little legs could carry her before exhaustion and thirst claimed her at last.
Raiders in the Fields of Penti by Midjourney
Sister of the Faith
When she woke from her long and weary slumber, her dreams foul and nightmarish, she had found herself not where she had fallen, but instead besides an inviting campfire that was tended by a kindly old woman in the white and gold clerical robes that marked her as a follower of Hillen. The woman was a seria, and through her generosity and efforts, Tiyla was fed and cared for as they made their way towards a kirevesi in Alechvêr, the capital of the Kingdom of Motilich. The road to their destignation was muddy and Tiyla had been hesitant leave, but once they had finally arrived, they were greeted by curious sisters of the faith who prepared warm meals and welcomed the child with open arms.
Young Tiyla Studying with the Seriati by Midjourney
Clerical Education
Without a family left to care for her, the Hillenist clergy adopted young Tiyla into their own ranks, beginning her education in the faith. She was to become one of the seriati, devoting her life in service of Aprēa and her followers. During her years as an initiate, she was given frequent opportunities to accompany the elder seria on their assignments to the halls of influential nobles, wealthy merchants, and even the royal court itself. On regular occasions, the wealthy and influential members of society would coincidentally find themselves drawn to the young initiate, casting aside their pride and prejudice to hear the young girl as an equal. Tiyla and the other clerics who had noticed these strange occurrences were perplexed, but they soon turned it to their advantage, using the young initiate’s strange bonds to strengthen the clergy’s position in society.Favour of the Commoners
As with the nobility and the burghers of the city, the commonfolk had also found themselves curiously drawn by her—or something had drawn them to her, as if a command had been ushered in their hearts to go forth and hear her words. They witnessed her acts of service to the local community, distributing the food and blankets the clergy had generously donated. With these simple interactions, an orphan of the clergy had snuck her way into the hearts and minds of the people of Alechvêr, giving her the popularity and support that would sow the seeds of her ascension.Monarch of Motilich
I'm dying, you rapacious cur, and yet all you can think of is that damned chair of mine! A spineless coward who cares naught for the blights of his own flesh and blood is unworthy of throne. Begone, bastard!
Tiyla - Advisor to the King of Motilich by Midjourney
The King's Healer
Tiyla had finished her formal education in 1045 AA when she was 20 years old, receiving her induction into the ranks of the seriati. For around a year and a half she continued with the duties she’d performed as an initiate, assisting with the organisation of charitable events and performing her regular duties in the kirevesi. That all changed when a messenger from the royal court entered the hallowed halls of the temple, bringing news of the king’s ailing health. Eager to make use of their most influential asset, the clergy sent Tiyla to attend to the king in hopes that her strange ability to draw people in would allow them to gain additional support from the government. Although she had received training in treating various common afflictions, Tiyla was unsure of what ailed the king. His death seemed but a few weeks or days away and in his frustration and fury, the old man had banished his only son, stripping the man of all his titles and inheritance. The line of succession had become unclear and the untimely death of their king had the potential of sparking a war that could tear the realm apart. Tiyla was well aware of the pressures that fell upon her, and so she worked day and night to find the root cause of the illness. Despite the initial estimates, the king had held on to life, and his physical and mental capabilities regained strength whenever the young priestess was around.Advisor
Saving—or rather prolonging—the king’s life had earned Tiyla his favour. The middle-aged monarch was hesitant to go anywhere without her in his presence and that gave Tiyla ample opportunities to discuss all manner of matters with him. Their long and engrossing conversations ranged from everything from politics to religion or agriculture, and the longer the king listened to his young healer, the more he realised that her ideas and reason surpassed that of many of his dimwitted advisors. Years had passed and for a while, it seemed as if the king had recovered entirely. Whispers among his deceitful courtiers began to spread soon after, questioning why Tiyla was allowed to remain in court if her task had been accomplished. Although hesitant to do so, the king felt the pressure of his influential nobles was too difficult to ignore and he was forced to dismiss Tiyla after a decade of service. A week later, the king had found himself bedridden and gasping for air. Many of the courtiers accused Tiyla of poisoning him, assuming that she had felt slighted by the dismissal, but their slander wouldn’t spread far as they had their throats slit by their own servants. With most of the bothersome nobles dealt with, the king sent word to the kirevesi to recall Tiyla to court, pleading for help and forgiveness. Tiyla was able to stabilise his health to a degree, but it had been impossible to return him to his former strength. Nevertheless, the king was still thankful and assigned him as his personal advisor. In addition to a permanent position in court, Tiyla was also granted an estate close to Eberstêi, elevating her into a position of nobility.Rise to Power
I have foolishly hoped that I could avoid fate forever, but my end draws near and the succession of the realm is as uncertain as ever. Perhaps a vote could solve the tensions we face? I already know who I'd elect as monarch, but this matter should be left in the hands of the people.The dying King of Motilich fought hard to stay alive for as long as he could, but Tiyla's abilities were only able to prolong his life by another few months, during which she had also established her noble family as the House of Pentiwichen, naming the family after the fields from which she hailed. With the line of succession unclear and the king weeks away from death, he proclaimed his desire to host an election which would decide the fate of the kingdom and its future. Every man and female cleric, regardless of their status in life, was given the opportunity to vote for whoever they saw fit.
Election
Tiyla of the House of Pentiwichen was around 32 years old at around the time of the vital election that determined the fate of the realm. Her face, unusually youthful and unburdened by the passage of time, was still familiar to the influential nobles, the merchants and the regular folk that she had either encountered or taken care of before entering into the service of the king. While many of the local aristocrats were filling pockets with coin and hosting elaborate events to increase their fame, Tiyla just needed to walk among the people so that they'd remember her name and face. On the 1st of Ilisiaqteril, 1058 AA, when all the votes had been cast, the captain of the king's guard announced that the vast majority of the votes had been cast in favour of Tiyla Pentiwichen, the new Queen of Motilich.Strengthening of the Clergy
The ascension of a seria as the Queen of Motilich had given the Hillenist clergy an unprecedented level of power and influence both in politics, but also in society as a whole. Tiyla was able to give them the funding they required to establish brand new kiretiati throughout the kingdom while providing aid to orphans and victims of indiscriminate raids. Construction on the Kirevesi of Eberstêi also began during the reign of Queen Tiyla, replacing the old and decrepit kiretaev that had been on the verge of collapse. The building was eventually finished 112 years later, in 1173, during the reign of Vôhil I, Tiyla's grandson.United Kingdoms
Year after year, our realm continues to crumble as our borderlands fall to one warlord or another. With the Motilichers uniting with the Hartilians to our west, what hope is there in retaining our sovereignty? Would it not be reasonable to freely swear our allegiance to this new queen and hope that she is as compassionate and generous as the travellers claim?Not long after her election victory, Tiyla was contacted by the Hartilians, a devout and hard-working people who were native to the mouth of the river Pallern. The group had claimed that their disparate tribes had come together as one to face the hordes that often raided their villages and that they were on a quest to find a leader of their own. Tiyla naturally inquired as to why they were looking for a leader from foreign lands to which the emissary replied that crowning one of their own would have led to bad blood among the former tribes, which could weaken them as a whole. They said that they had heard great tales of the newly elected queen to their north, a monarch that had experienced the same sorrow at the hands of the Wehorian raiders as they had.
Queen of the Hartilians
The Hartilians were as stubborn and proud as they were devout. In exchange for crowning Tiyla Pentiwichen as their own monarch, they expected the young queen to move to their largest city, making Aûrkustel the new capital of her realm. She was also required to refer to herself as Queen of the Hartilians before listing the rest of her titles. Although the demands had seemed a petty and accepting them would have been viewed as an insult by some of her own subjects, the queen accepted the position and prepared her court for the changes that awaited them. Her own coronation as Queen of Motilich had yet to occur and so she decided that an even grander event was to be held in the new capital. Many of the Motilichers had taken offense, but the realisation of what the inclusion of the Hartilian people and their lands would bring to the prosperity of their new united kingdom had helped lessen the blow.Collapse of Latolia
Not long after her arrival in Aûrkustel, another emissary entered her hall, this time as a representative of the Kingdom of Latolia, a struggling realm on the southern banks of the Pallern. Theirs was a land in turmoil and Adelsil Vellek, the king of their people, feared that sooner or later a greater power would come and subjugate his people. Out of all the lands that surrounded Latolia, the new Kingdom of the Hartilians seemed like the fairest in terms of governance and their people had also heard much of the new queen. By freely swearing fealty, the Latolians sought to ensure their new queen's favour and protection. With both the forces of the Motilichers and the Hartilians, Tiyla figured that providing protection wouldn't be past their capabilities and so another kingdom fell to her once more. Now, as a monarch of not one, but three kingdoms, the time for the exquisite coronation had come at last.
Coronation
All doubts were deafened when she opened her eyes—our queen had been chosen.After ending up with two additional kingdoms, Tiyla was finally ready to be crowned on the 1st of Tielaqteril in 1062 AA (at the time the month had a different name as Tielaqteril, meaning Tiyla's moon or month in Aiterean, was named in honour of the queen). People from all across her three kingdoms were invited to attend the public coronation in front of the modest castle at the heart of the city which she had turned into the seat of her power. In addition to her own subjects, foreign leaders and representatives were invited to attend the event, giving them a broker new deals with the monarch following the festivities. Even the Wehorians had sent people to bear witness to the rise of Queen Tiyla of the Hartilians.
Divine Favour
The crowning, which was preceded by several ceremonies, both religious and secular, occurred as the sun began to set. The realm had come together to witness their monarch, clad in white, golden and purple robes, ready to be crowned with a golden laurel wreath. She had knelt before the kireseria, closing her eyes to receive her crown, and when she opened them at last a powerful yet gentle light radiated from her eyes, casting a light over the crowd. Her once emerald green eyes were now bright and golden, and all the people and objects that her light touched glowed with beauty and love. It was clear then that Tiyla Pentiwichen was Aprēa's Chosen, giving her an unquestionable right to rule.Righteous Reign
Queen Tiyla’s reign was not one of rapid military conquest and valiant victories on the battlefield—although her forces were valiant and effective—instead, she focused on bringing peace and stability to the region. The Hartilians and Latolians who had accepted her as their monarch received the protection they were promised as Tiyla’s forces repelled the nomadic raiders in the Fields of Penti, avenging her own lost parents, as well as halting the warlords that threatened the southern reaches of her realm. Always true to her convictions, the devout queen rejected notions of offensive wars, instead preferring to offer a helping hand to weaker neighbouring states in exchange for beneficial trade deals or tribute.Builder of Civilisation
The Kingdom of the Hartilians, Latolia and Motilich were all based around the Pallern, a river which provided the united realm with fertile fields and an effective means of transportation. Queen Tiyla's efforts led to the rapid development of the major settlements that had direct access to the river, such as Eberstêi, Mirstêi, the old capital of the Latolians, and Aûrkustel. Because of its distance from the river, Alechvêr, the old capital, lost much of its relevance and dwindled in size.Philosopher Queen
The decades of peace that her rule had brought her people gave Tiyla the time she needed to devote to making sense of the world. The divine influence in her life both fascinated and terrified her and so she strived to understand her role in the grand scheme of things as best as she could. All that she contemplated, she wrote in a tome that has been since lost to time, although before its loss, some of her descendants had quoted snippets of the book which have allowed historians to gain a better sense of the woman.Death of the Blessed
Tiyla I, founder of the House of Pentiwichen, graciously parted from our world at the age of 92, passing the throne to her 58 year old son, Âldirich, who looked as if he was ready to go as well.Tiyla's death should not have come as a great surprise, concidering how ancient she was, yet due to her unnaturally youthul appearance, most of the court assumed that she still had another few decades of rule ahead of her. There were even some who had claimed that their queen was immortal, eternally blessed to serve as Aprēa representative on Riel. When she did pass away peacefully in bed, she was succeeded by three children: Âldirich, the eldest and heir to the throne, and the twins Sohhia and Îta, all of who were elderly in their own right.
Funeral and Legacy
The funeral of someone chosen by god herself required the presence of the greatest authority in Hillenēq Hūril, the Alstiseria of Athe. With the great distance between Aûrkustel and Athe, people feared that they wouldn't be able to keep the body of their deceased queen from decomposing, but as a final act of divine intervention, god seemed fit to care for the body, ensuring that she remained the same as when she'd drawn her last breath. At the end of the burial ceremony, the alstiseria declared Tiyla a Blessed of the Faith. In the years following her death, Tiyla Pentiwichen's descendants used the wealth and might that their realm had acquired to subjugate many of their neighbours, eventually leading to the formation of the Empire of Pallernen, a realm that outshines all others with its landmass, population, and military strength.Relationships
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Aprēa's Chosen, Queen of the the Hartilians, Motilich, and Latolia
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Date of Birth
13th of Vānsulrpēh, 1025 AA
Date of Death
2nd of Tlealēlcpēh, 1117 AA
Life
1025 AA
1117 AA
92 years old
Birthplace
Fields of Penti
Place of Death
Aûrkustel, Kingdom of the Hartilians
Family
Spouses
Elîvihel Gehel
(spouse)
Siblings
Children
Sex
Female
Eyes
Golden eyes that have a glow to them (originally emerald green)
Hair
Long, brunette, often braided
Height
1.71 m
Weight
66 kg
Belief/Deity
Otherwordly Whispers
Later in life, after contemplating the events that had led to her rise, Tiyla came to the conclusion that her influence over people must have been as a result of the direct interference of god. She quietly investigated the matter, interviewing people who had been affected by the what they had at times described as otherworldly whispers, a will alien to their own that acted in their hearts and compelled them to act in ways that they wouldn’t have considered on their own. This revelation emboldened Tiyla’s faith in Aprēa, giving her an unbreakable sense of purpose to act in accordance with her will. All that she learned and speculated was written down in a private tome that was later handed to her heir. The journal remained in Pentiwichen hands until the lengthy and chaotic Interregnum of Pallernen.Unnatural Youth
Tiyla had been blessed with an unusually long life-span and even her youth remained with her far longer than expected. Even late into her thirties, people would often assume she was closer to twenty instead. This unnatural youth became even more evident following her coronation when her divine favour had been revealed to the world as a result of her golden eyes. Her power to illuminate the darkest of halls not only shed light on her surroundings, but it also transformed all that it touched, making everything appear gentler and more beautiful than they had originally been. In her later years, Tiyla would engulf herself in her radiant light to appear otherworldly and young, despite being an elderly woman in reality, whose knees squeaked and cracked with nearly each arduous step.Divine Intervention
The tale of Tiyla Pentiwichen and the establishment of the House of Pentiwichen has been one of the clearest examples of direct intervention in human affairs by Aprēa. Supporters of Tiyla’s descendants argue that the god’s actions are a sign of their legitimacy, claiming that the decisions of the rulers of Pallernen are made in pursuit of whatever goal Aprēa had set for them. On the other hand, the opponents of Pentiwichen rule say that while Tiyla may have been blessed, her descendants have lost the favour she enjoyed. Her descendants may still bear her golden eyes, but the divine radiance that they once possessed has diminished, only giving off a light glow incapable of illuminating much of anything.
Fields of Penti by Midjourney
The King in the Shadows
When Tiyla had won the Montilich election, securing her position as the queen of the realm, she had still been unmarried and without children at the time. Some of those who had failed to claim the throne for their own saw her availability as a second chance to claim power, but the new queen rejected all advances and proposals. Keen to find a man of her own liking, one who would love her for her mind and heart without a care for the crown that would sit upon her brow, she used her connections with her fellow sisters of the faith to begin her hunt. The man they had eventually found was Elîvihel Gehel, a Hartilian lad was nine years younger than the queen herself. That had hardly mattered, however, as the two looked roughly the same age. He was the son of a minor lord who held a tiny castle that overlooked the Pallern near the borderlands between Montilich and the lands of the Hartilians. Elîvihel had been well aware of the recent election, but he cared not for grand titles and the fame and fortune that came with them. Instead, he too had been looking for a love, prioritising genuine connection over political gain. Elîvihel Gehel’s attempts at romance were ridiculed by some of his peers, but that, in return, had helped the clergy learn of him and his intentions. The kiretia in Alechvêr invited the young lord to visit them, claiming that they knew of a woman that might match his interests and demeanour well. To his great surprise, the woman in question had been the newly elected monarch of Montilich, yet despite his initial concern, the two of them quickly learned of one another’s common interests and the relationship that followed bloomed into a marriage, albeit an unconventional one at that. Either uninterested in the fame and pressure of a king-consort or perhaps ashamed of his meager holdings, Elîvihel requested to remain hidden from the public, staying as a relatively anonymous consort to the ruling monarch. Few ever knew of his name, and this in itself led to a plethora of rumours. Had Tiyla Pentiwichen not been perceived as someone chosen by god, her relationship and the legitimacy of her children would have been a frequent point of contention by her opponents.
The Pentiwichens and their Client States
She sounds absolutely amazing