Location: Ramez, Duchy of Atansha, Kingdom of Tildor
Date: Feb 2048
Founded in the early summer of 2046, Ramez was a growing town on the eastern shores of the continent of Anzac. With just over a thousand people, Ramez was small, rough, and even a tad provincial. They called the main valley and surrounding lands Atansha, or Pleasant Home. Atansha was part of Tildor, a kingdom that took its name from the great plains of grass that separated the far-flung cities on its edges. Tildor literally meant 'grass.' The duchy lay on the northeastern-most part of the great plains the comprised the kingdom, situated at the easternmost foothills of the continent-spanning Skyreach Mountains.
Royce Moramorian was Duke of Atansha. With him were his two wives, Susan and Charlotte Ann, the eldest two children of Dobson and Gale Starshine of Starshine. All three of them were namesakes, that is, they were named after existing adults. Royce's first name was Caernach – which was Irish for soldier – and Royce was named after his father, Prince Caernach. However, no one ever called him by his first name, not even his parents. Susan was named after her aunt. Charlotte Ann was named after Princess Charlotte, Royce's birth mother.
Royce and the two sisters had been lovers only a few months before their marriage. However, they had known each other since infancy and had attended elementary and secondary school together. While neither he nor the sisters were passionately in love with the other, they did have friendship, family, a long history, and a good idea of each other's character and temperament – all factors to making a good match. When he had proposed, Royce explained he admired them, and that with time, they could even grow to fall in love with each other.
After several days of discussion, Susan and Charlotte Ann agreed. Even though she was eldest, Charlotte Ann insisted that Susan be First Wife, as the dark-haired warrior was decidedly not interested in "kitchens or laundry." With a great deal of fanfare, the marriages were held in Tildor's capital city of Sharaton-Charlottesville.
At one hundred and eighty centimeters, Royce was nearly as tall as his father, Prince Caernach Moramorian. Both men had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, strong chins and handsome faces. Prince Caernach sported a handle-bar mustache, while Royce was almost always clean-shaven, though sometimes he wore a short beard. Like his father, Royce was trained both as a holy knight of the church and as a wilderness ranger.
Susan had the height of her father, General Dobson Starshine of Sharshine, being just eight centimeters shorter than Royce. Her skin was light, lighter than either of her parents, with intelligent, hazel eyes, and her hair was pale blonde, straight -- and even braided, it hung to her bottom. A high priestess of the Lawgiver, Susan was strong and fit. Her breasts were full enough to fill a hand, she was narrow of waist, and had wide hips.
Charlotte Ann had her mother's frame, and though taller her mother, at one hundred sixty eight centimeters, was shorter than Susan. Charlotte Ann's hair was dark brown, and her eyes were a dark, smokey blue. Like Susan, her breasts were full without being large. However, her frame was narrower and leaner, and well-suited to her vocation as a warrior. Like Royce, she was trained as a wilderness ranger and had completed several courses at the military college in the capital. Even after her marriage into house Moramorian, Charlotte Ann wore a string of lapis lazuli and gold beads in the clan pattern of Starshine of Starshine in her hair. Charlotte Ann was extremely proud of her father and her family. Though it was within his rights, Royce took no issue with the bead pattern, especially since she wore his House arms on her clothing.
All three had had a strong liberal arts education overseen by the demanding Dr. Shalia Elvaraë, one of the most famous sages on the continent of Anzac. Each of them spoke at least three languages fluently, were trained in hand-to-hand combat -- Royce and Charlotte Ann taking it to expert and beyond -- and after graduating, each had completed the year-long Nobles College in the capital.
During their journey to Atansha, Charlotte Ann proved an able lieutenant to Royce and a canny military commander. After two months of travel they arrived in mid-June, scouted out the land, and began building.
Ramez, the main city of Atansha, was some fifteen kilometers inland from the eastern seashore. Royce and his wives had seriously considered a nearby sheltered harbor for their city, but the discovery of both gold and iron in substantial quantities, as well as the adjacent large and fertile valley motivated them to build inland, closer to the mines and croplands. A seaport could come later. Farms and orchards were planted, herds of horses and cattle set to graze, and with the mines, a smelter and foundry were built. Magical filters were designed to combat the harsh smoke of the factories, and druids were employed to keep the forests replenished, as the smelter, foundry, and growing town all demanded fuel in great quantities.
In the two years since arriving and establishing themselves, Ramez had suffered dozens of attacks, seven of them being significant. Two were raids by Melcotian pirates, coming down from the north. The first pirate sortie had been a single ship with almost a hundred armed men. The second attack, less than a year later, had involved three ships carrying over five hundred buccaneers. Fortunately, Charlotte Ann's active patrols gave them advanced warning, and the enemy was dealt with both times with minimal losses to the duchy.
In between the two sea-borne raid were assaults by hostile humanoids, determined to destroy their city. Two were by the Cloven Skull orc tribe, and the last was launched by the Razorbacks, a tribe of hobgoblins. Very quickly, a vigorous watch system was maintained along the northern, northwestern, and western approaches to Ramez.
To their surprise, they discovered they had neighbors several days ride to their northwest. Little Pine Hill was a small enclave of celtic and nordic humans and storm giants. Royce took an immediate liking to John Stark, their leader, and in a short while, trade and defense treaties were signed.
In between pirates and humanoids came a large raiding party from Sslandah, a city of ophidians, a race of xenophobic reptilian humanoids living some distance north of Ramez. Their poisonous bite had proved a nasty surprise. The healing powers of Susan and several of her subordinate priests were immensely helpful. In the end, the ophidians, too, were defeated.
