House Rylin

Head of the Family: Steward of the Seasons

Current Steward: Auralon Rylin IV

The current Steward is the De Jure head of the family, and is responsible for making executive decisions regarding the family's wealth, status, and marriage prospects.

Second-in-Command: Winter Warden

Current Warden: Aren Rylin

The Winter Warden is Heir Apparent of House Rylin, always the next person in line unless the next in line is underage and has not yet completed their trial at The Festival of the Blue Moon. The Warden serves as the De Facto head of the family, and often has an increasing say on major decisions regarding the family as they grow in wisdom.

Rest of the Family

The rest of the family is ordered by their generation status, with older members having more status unless they have forfeited it due to their actions. House Rylin has demonstrated that not even the main bloodline of the Steward/Warden is a guarantee of future status, having twice before skipped over an heir in favor of a more worthy successor.

The Rylin family has long been deeply religious, passing down the lessons and stories from the Maiden from generation to generation. The reigning Steward emphasizes the virtues and morals of the Maiden, and each member of the family is expected to hold to her standards throughout their lives.

Outside of the religious beliefs, each sect within the family is free to establish its own culture and raise its children independently. The laissez-faire approach has led to political intrigue, particularly in recent years, as other members of the Rylin family have considered how to seize the Stewardship for themselves.

1. Continued Peace and Prosperity for the Elemental Enclave
2. Continued Peach and Prosperity for Mauribon
3. Adherence to the mandates of the Maiden

Due to the non-liquid nature of much of House Rylin's wealth, it is impossible to truly quantify their wealth.

Yearly Income: 8,317 Gleams

House Rylin derives its primary income from the Rylinnear Mine, located north of Mauribon, which is the sole source of Mithril in the Enclaves. Additionally, they sponsor several trade companies and artisan workshops throughout Mauribon.

Direct Land Holdings

1. Kaer Dour - The ancestral home
2. Rylin Estate - A large estate down the coast that has served as a summer estate for the family.
3. Rylinneaer Mine

Founding (111 AoL)

Family legends and the historical records maintain that Aura Rylin was the patriarch of the house. He was one of the Original Elves who traveled with Mauri the Maiden down the Envalcir River at the beginning. Family Legends tell that as the trip neared its end, it was Aura who discovered the first Water Stones and used it to guide the Elves to shore. Thus, Mauri gave him the family name 'Rylin', which meant Elves of the River.'

The first official record of House Rylin dates back to the 111th year of the Age of Light, listing the family among the Original Eleven elven houses that formally established the ancient city of Mauribon. Around this time, they were granted land at the river delta on the northern banks, enabling them to build their ancestral home, Kaer Dour, on the coast of both the ocean and the Envalcir River.

Early Years (150 AoL - 1,217 AoL)

Over the next 500 years, Aura Rylin served as a leader amongst the Elves of Mauribon, serving as the first Cleric of the Maiden. This gave House Rylin a position of leadership from the start, enabling them to solidify their status as a noble house and gain a following among other families. The names of the five Elven families that originally swore allegiance to them have been lost to history, but allowed House Rylin to control roughly 100 of the 800 Elves who were alive during this time.

Legends tell of a rivalry between Rylin and Sneha during the early centuries, Rivalry of the River and the Ice chronicles these events.

As the first millennium of the Elves came to an end, Mauribon had become strained to contain the ever-growing population of the Elves, now numbering roughly 2,100 Elves. Thus, other noble families began to migrate away from the original city to find their own lands within the valley. The first amongst these was House Gwynt, which followed the Envalcir back east.

Aura Rylin was determined to stay close to Mauri, and thus, the early members of House Rylin firmly established themselves in Mauribon and in the surrounding area. Over the next century, eight of the Original Eleven houses had migrated to other areas of the valley, leaving only Houses Rylin, Sneha, and Tomder.

House Rylin's First Conflict

After resolving their rivalry, the Houses of Rylin and Sneha formed an alliance to ensure the stability of Mauribon. This brought them into conflict with House Tomder, the city's other remaining major power, which sought to gain dominance over the Maiden's home. This brought about the Battle of the Blood Moon which was the first military conflict involving House Rylin. The result was a clear victory for the Rylin-Sneha Alliance, which solidified its control over the city and the surrounding region. This also brought them into a cold war with House Tomder, which migrated south in search of a new seat of power.

Providing Aid to House Daenor

During a prolonged period of drought that hampered the harvest of the earth-based House Daenor, the scions of House Rylin were quick to offer aid to them and other noble Houses, providing fish and crops imported from Cerenia to aid their fellow Elves. This earned them the trust and friendship of House Daenor, which has formed the backbone of Elven politics in the valley for 25,000 years.

Clerics of the Maiden

There are at least eight members of House Rylin who were chosen to be Clerics of the Maiden during this time period, which helped establish the House as close and faithful servants of the Elven deities.

Mithril Mine

It was through the exploration of House Rylin that the primary source of mithril in the valley was discovered roughly 66 miles north of Mauribon. Due to their faithful service to Mauri, she granted them perpetual rights to this mine, which became the foundation of the families' vast wealth.

Formation of the Lin Malion

House Rylin played a primary role in the formation of the water-based Elven tribe in the 23rd century of the Age of Light. At the time, the leader of the House was Acer Rylin, a she-elf who also served as a Cleric to the Maiden for the past two centuries. Emmiseraries were sent from House Rylin to quell the growing conflict, but this was in vain as the conflict grew to include Houses Uisge and Manura against House Rhyanar.

As the conflict was poised to escalate into all-out war, Acer intervened with the Maiden to halt the conflict, which ultimately led to the battle ending before the two armies clashed, thereby avoiding further bloodshed. As a result of the conflict, Acer and fellow elder Callum Sneha led the charge for the Flow of Sil Mid Gorlin, Rhy, Ea Lian, a pact between the five currently existing noble houses, as well as future houses in the region, to seek to prevent conflict. Thus, House Rylin became a charter member of the Lin Malion tribe, a loose confederation of Elven territories under a single banner.

Serving on the Lin Malion Council

Over the next four millennia, House Rylin continued to hold a leadership role within the tribe. They continually held one of the five fixed seats, serving as the 'Keeper of the Maiden's Oath', which mandated that they uphold the covenant and ensure that the Maiden's Law was upheld.

The First Council

Acer Rylin and Cathal Rhyanar were the two who called the first council together a century after the formation of the Tribe. House Gwynt of the neighboring Sael Malion had begun to trespass on their land, and the five Houses sought to craft a unified response. Together, Houses Rylin and Rhyanar proceeded to march against the Gwynt forces, providing a sound victory for the new tribe.

The Second Council

While House Rylin did not call this council, they fully supported House Sneha's request to send aid to the Dwarves of the North due to the ongoing famine they were experiencing.

The Third Council

After a confrontation with the Elemental Seekers, House Rylin called the third council to establish ethical research.

Beginning of a Rivalry

Aenlin Rylin, a young scion of the House, proved to be a natural talent with Aura Sight and a quick study on all manner of topics. This led to him being a chief contender for the Maiden's next cleric, alongside a young Belen Deigh. Ultimately, Aenlin was chosen, leaving Belen feeling bitter and determined to gain status through other means. This marked the start of the historic rivalry between the two houses.

The Fourth Council

House Rylin joined with the other noble houses to fight the sea-based war with the Fen Malion, who sought to sabotage their trade routes.

The Fifth Council

Despite the earlier rivalry between Aenlin and Belen, he was fully supportive of the new House Deigh gaining a seat on the council, seeing it as an old friend getting his due. This allowed tensions between the two to ease, and their friendship resumed.

The Sixth Council

Houses Deigh and Rylin were responsible for calling the sixth council to discuss the growing tensions with the other tribes in Maiden's Enclave.

Era of the Balance (6,000-10,000 AoL)

War for the Balance

The War for the Balance proved to be a pivotal moment for House Rylin. A few years prior, the Maiden had been called away for a conclave with her family in Rillan Aur and warned that she might be gone for some time. This left Mauribon fully in the care of the Lin Malion. The coalition of the Fen and Sael Malion used this occasion to enact their plan to seize Mauribon for themselves. They struck quickly, destroying the city of Cuanaur in the process, and then they began to march north. The seventh and last Council was called, and Aenlin Rylin was appointed as the first Winter Warden, or the Chieftain of the Lin Malion tribe.

House Rylin led the defense of Mauribon against the incoming siege and held out for three years until reinforcements arrived. Entrusting Belen Deigh as the Chief Administrator of the City, Aenlin Rylin and the rest of the House marched to war.

Five years into the war, House Saelsir made the difficult choice to betray their Liege Lord, House Gwynt, and made a pact with House Rylin, viewing this as the only way to uphold the Maiden's Law. This pact between Aenlin and Calindor cut the forces of House Gwynt and the Sael Malion in half, and eventually led to the forces of House Gwynt slowly being pushed back until they were left with just the capital as their last bastion. House Rylin was forced to split its forces between the siege of Caldor and the Southern front, but eventually claimed victory.

On the Southern Front of the conflict, Aenlin struck a similar deal with Anora Tomder, the heir to the current head of House Tomder, who had grown disillusioned with her mother's folly. House Rylin helped the newly formed House Calior gain legitimacy and marched with Anora Calior to victory against the Fen Malion to end the war with a Water/Earth victory.

Aftermath of the War

Rebuilding Mauribon

In the wake of the 20-year-long conflict, House Rylin had to invest heavily in rebuilding the largely destroyed Mauribon, utilizing the opportunity to expand the city by adding a southern port and extending its boundaries further. This led to the formation of small hamlets and settlements around Mauribon, whose primary purpose was supplying the capital with food.

Rebuilding the Lin Malion Territory

House Rylin earned the goodwill of their new bannerman by funding the restoration efforts across the tribe. Additionally, they sought to reorganize the duties of the noble Houses in the wake of the new system. The most prominent move was to grant House Sneha administrative control of the mines found in the tribe's northern territory, including House Rylin's own mithril mine.

The Last Gwynt Rebellion

Roughly 2,500 years after the war, House Rylin was called to assist House Sneha as the last scion of House Gwynt sought to reclaim his family's wealth and status by taking control of the northern mines. Due to the combined efforts, the two ancient houses quashed the rebellion in a matter of months.

Era of Expansion (10,000 - 20,000 AoL)

The utilization of their vast collection of relics enabled House Rylin to make significant gains in trade and exploration during this period, ultimately providing a detailed map of the Lin Malion territory that catalogued both physical and elemental sites. Mauribon reached its peak population, reaching roughly 700,000 residents during the height of this era. This kept House Rylin busy as they strove to maintain a well-ordered tribe.

The Uisge University was formed in Mauribon, heavily sponsored by House Rylin, which now helps to fund some of the top universities in the world. This allowed for an explosion of knowledge not just for House Rylin but also for many of its allies.

Through their friendship with the Cerenia Republic and the League of Valtameri, two prominent nations on the eastern continent, they learned of House Deigh's efforts to expand their trade holdings and recognized that their old rivals were not content with the status quo. Thus, several spies were sent to ascertain what the scheming House was up to in Cauanaur. This House Rylin learned that they were pushing the boundaries of the Maiden's Law on research, and that they had been communicating with the Eldrin Anko.

It was during the time of Auraden Rylin that the House aided Mauri in researching the cause of the shadows that were growing across the world. It was their knowledge of House Deigh's activities that provided the final piece when the Cuanaur College was raided by Anko, who had taken up the mantle of the Fallen, and stole much of the research and relics. This caused House Rylin to sanction their bannerman, confiscating their estate in Mauribon as punishment.

Auralon Rylin the Elder served as the Winter Warden during the outbreak of the conflict that would become known as the Great Storm. When House Daenor called for a conclave of the four tribes, House Rylin was quick to answer and immediately agreed to establish the Elemental Elves Coalition to ensure that all four tribes were able to make it through the Storm safely.

House Rylin served as the rear guard of the Elemental Elves, ensuring that the valley became a place of refuge for any who needed to escape the storm, which gained the valley the name of the Maiden's Enclave. Through these efforts, several new settlements were established in House Rylin's territory.

The Dawn

Auralon's young son, Auradir Rylin, quickly rose to prominence as one of the greatest swordsmen the Elves had ever produced, and he paid heavily for additional training of his young heir. As the Storm continued to rage, Mauri and Krouin revealed they had forged a cache of legendary elven steel weapons and granted one to House Rylin for Auradir to wield in the coming conflict.

Invasion of the Enclaves

When word reached the Elves in Mauribon that a force 300,000 strong marched on their home, Auralon was quick to mobilize as many warriors as possible to hold the Citadel Pass from the Fallen's Forces while the refugees sought protection behind the walls of the capital. The fierce battle saw many casualties, including Auralon, and thus Auradir was elevated as the next Winter Warden in the heat of war.

With the Fallen's forces within the boundaries of the Valley, Auradir led the rest of House Rylin back to Mauribon to make a final stand. Ultimately, they were able to withstand the surge and emerged victorious. Over the next few years, House Rylin allied with other Houses to fully eradicate the remaining hostile forces from the Fallen.

Into the Storm

House Rylin immediately raised their banner when Mauri declared that she would confront her brother and led the Elemental Elf forces as one of the main commanders of the Free Alliance. Leaving House Sneha in charge of Mauribon, Auradir marched west and proved instrumental in many battles. He also became one of four mortals to come face to face with the Fallen and live.

Through the efforts of House Rylin, the Free Alliance managed to hold off the Fallen's Forces long enough for the Fallen Eldrin himself to be sealed away, but not before both Mauri and Krouin were mortally wounded. The believed death of the deity struck a blow to the House, who returned downtrodden.

After the Storm, Auradir returned to Mauribon and, after a meeting of the Great Houses, was appointed as the first Steward of the Seasons, ruler over the newly established Elemental Enclaves. House Rylin was entrusted to lead the Elemental Enclaves until the Maiden's prophesied return.

Steward Auradir ( 0 AoR - 247 AoR)

Auradir codified the Maiden's Law as the primary law of the new nation and sought to restore the defense so that the valley would be ready if another threat against it arose.

Steward Aurathir (247 AoR - 707 AoR)

Aurathir oversaw the completion of the rebuilding process of the valley's defenses and major cities.

Steward Auralon (707 AoR - 1,504 AoR)

The third Steward worked to solidify the foreign relations with the Dwarves of the North, Sioran, and Askel. Additionally, he was a former Master Scholar of the Citadel, and thus worked to ensure that the Elemental Elves did not lose their drive to discover more about the world.

Stewardess Auralana (1,504 AoR - 1,875 AoR)

The first female steward oversaw the establishment of trade routes and established the Maiden's Court, the nation's top court, which handled matters of grave importance as needed. She was also the first to bypass her firstborn, who she deemed unworthy of being the next Steward.

Steward Alasdair (1,875 AoR - 1,921 AoR)

Alasdair saw the first internal conflict in House Rylin's long history when his older brother rose against him to claim the Stewardship. This led to his untimely demise.

Steward Aeron (1,921 AoR - 2,166 AoR)

Through his leadership, the rebellion of his uncle and other minor houses was defeated.

Steward Arion (3,640 AoR - 3,678 AoR)

The Winter Rebellion consumed his entire rule, led secretly by House Deigh, and he ultimately gave his life in the final battle of the rebellion.

Stewardess Ainsley (3,678 AoR - 4,414 AoR)

Ainsley was responsible for rebuilding the Elemental Enclaves after the massive rebellion and sought to ensure that lasting hostilities would not remain. This is the only reason she did not strip House Deigh of all of their status.

Stewardess Alannah (9,054 AoR - 9,126 AoR)

She led the Enclave through the beginning of the Argader Raids

Steward Avelon (9,126 AoR - 9,369 AoR)

Avelon led House Rylin through the last few years of the Raids and worked to establish peace afterwards.

Land Holdings (Cities and Settlements under their direct control).

1. Mauribon
2. Mauri Cirin
3. Mauri Salan
4. Aemari
5. Taumir
6. Eileamead
7. Rhyaur
8. New Rhiman
9. Pineburg
10. Lindagor

Roughly 714k live on the ancestral lands of House Rylin.

Total: 250

Personal Security: 200

Mine Security: 50

House Rylin has hired former mercenaries and veterans of conflicts to serve as security, ensuring their safety and the safety of their assets.

House Rylin has long worshiped the Father at the urging of the Maiden, and holds the Maiden herself as second only to the Father and reveres her as well.

House Rylin owns several profitable mines north of Mauribon:

• Mithril Mine - One of the largest known sources, and still generates income after 20,000 years of mining.
• Limestone Quarries
• Silver Mine - House Rylin holds the only known silver mine in the Enclave.

Formal Education

Languages

1. Common Tongue
2. Elvish - Spoken heavily in the Enclaves and across the world
3. Dwarvish - They are taught enough to communicate with them.
4. Elemental - They are taught to recognize key passages from the dead language
5. Celestial - They are taught key phrases that the Maiden shared centuries ago

History - All Three Ages

Natural Sciences

1. Botany
2. Mycology
3. Weather
4. Resource Management
5. Fauna & Ecosystems
6. Terracology

Arts, Culture, and Philosophy

1. Elven Art
2. Ethics and Philosophy
3. Elven Culture

Strategic and Administrative Education

Relic Lore and Management

1. Relic Identification & Classification
2. Relic History
3. Relic Maintenance & Attunement
4. Relic Ethics and Risk Assessment

Governance and Statecraft

1. Elemental Enclave Law & Precedent
2. Diplomacy and Alliance Building.
3. Economic and Resource Stewardship
4. Infrastructure Management

Strategic Defense and Security

1. Tactics & Logistics
2. Intelligence Gathering
3. Relic-Enhanced Defence

Physical Disciplines