The sigil of the House of Vendyros.
"She turned to look up at the keep, its tall towers of beige and gold impossibly tall from where she stood. Flagpoles dotted every battlement, each flying a flag of black, dark as the night, a dragon thrashing and beating upon the cloth..." - The Plight of Steel, Chapter 1
Riverfall is the Northernmost kingdom-continent in the country of Deyeron, ruled by the Vendyros family. The sigil of the kingdom is a dragon with a small crown floating over its head.
Geography
The Kingdom of Riverfall is mountainous, with rolling hills and long stretches of grassland. Because of the uneven nature of the earth on the continent, many travelers often fall into unseen crevasses and pits, falling to their deaths, or remaining trapped until starvation takes them. That is why most remain on the roads, which wind throughout the land, running over safe sections of the landscape.
In the North, where the cold from God's Reach hits the hardest during the winter, the elves have their kingdom of Fayn, hidden in the tall mountains. These mountains, along with most of the mountains in Riverfall, are shrouded by thick forests of trees many centuries old.
Along with the rough terrain inland, along the shores, there are tall cliffs of jagged stone, beaten by monstrous waves. Ships must dock at the harbor, for anywhere else, the beaches lead up to impassable walls hundreds of feet high. This provides a security to the kingdom, and a natural choke point against invaders.
The Ruling Family
The Vendyros family lives within the thick, seastone walls of Seaview Citadel. Their insignia is the dragon, which represents their fiery tempers and tough nature. The patriarchal figure of the family, Virion Vendyros, is also called the Dragon of Deyeron, mostly for his ominous, intimidating appearance, as well as for his Reverie gift. All with Vendyros blood receive a gift from the Three, which has ensured the success of their many age long dynasty.
Because of the power of the family, they are allied with few and feared by many. Virion Vendyros can see into the future, ensuring that any who try and rise up against him will be eliminated before they even come up with a battle plan.
Significant Locations
- Seaview Citadel
- The Halls of Fayn
- Ergoniel
History
After the conquering of Deyeron following the Great Victory of the First Age, Luthor Vendyros, the first of the family, traveled from God's reach with his wife Crystal Sharpe, brother Rhazien Vendyros, and Rhazien's wife, Fleurie Valinor. He began construction of Seaview Citadel, seeing that the land was unoccupied, for he was unaware that the elvish halls of Fayn were located just Northward.
Luthor never had children, and died without an heir, leaving Rhazien to take the throne of the still unfinished citadel. Rhazien continued its construction, and had two children - brothers, who never got along. One was Tidaeus, and the other, Leviathan. Leviathan was incredibly cruel, and would often ride out on his warhorse, shooting arrows at travelers along the road who he deemed were venturing too close to the citadel. He would also torture his prisoners, scalping them before drowning them in boiling oil.
On the day of Tidaeus' coronation, he had already born a single son named Virion. Leviathan, jealous of his brother's rise to power, hid atop a battlement and shot Tidaeus as his coronation procession marched through a courtyard. Trying to escape, Leviathan slipped and fell from the wall, impaling himself on the spire of a nearby rooftop. Virion, son of Tidaeus, was crowned when he was sixteen.
Virion then married Ashera Valinor, and at twenty years old, she bore his four Dragon's Children, as they were called. The oldest was Firion, then Cassara, Balthier, and Seifer. By the time Virion was twenty, Seaview Citadel had been completed, and his reputation as sixth Great King of Riverfall was established, the previous five being his ancestors, some unrecorded in the family's records. The reason for this is unknown.
In the throne room of Seaview Citadel stand the statues of the Six Kings, some named, and others with their name plaques removed.
Name Origin
Riverfall is a reference to the many rivers that run through the continent. When Luthor Vendyros first arrived, his wife Crystal fell into a pool formed by a small waterfall, almost drowning. He thought the incident was amusing, and named the kingdom after it, much to his wife's irritation. The waterfall came from a river, and so, the river fell over the cliff into another river. His wife then fell into it.