Thorne II, King of Albion

King of Albion

Overview:
Three hundred years after the Calamity of the Void, King Thorne II, a descendant of the Aetherian Empire’s Emperor Eldric IV, rules Albion from a highland fortress, shaping Ravensgate’s fate through missives to the Council of the Iron Quill. During the Calamity, Eldric fled Crownspire (modern Ravensgate) at the urging of the Saffron Veil’s leader, preserving the imperial line as the empire fell and Albion rose. A decade ago, Thorne II initiated Ravensgate’s magical lockdown as a defense protocol to contain the weakening Aetherian seal and its leaking plagues. Tainted by Eldritch Gods like Zaladria, Nyrathos, and Xulthar, his decrees balance isolation with hope for a cure, driving Ravensgate’s struggle against a second Calamity.

Description:
From a fog-shrouded fortress in Albion’s highlands, King Thorne II reigns, its rune-etched walls pulsing against the biting wind. His missives, sealed in brass and glowing with arcane ink, arrive in Ravensgate’s District of Order, carrying royal decrees that echo through the Iron Quill’s marble halls. The air in his court stings with ozone, shadows writhing like Zaladria’s illusions, while Nyrathos’s whispers haunt advisors. The king’s influence, a spectral hand over the quarantine, evokes dread, loyalty, and suspicion amid Ravensgate’s plague-choked streets.

History:
During the Calamity of the Void, Emperor Eldric IV, a resolute human monarch with a brass-crowned helm and scarred gaze, ruled the Aetherian Empire from Crownspire. As Azagorth’s maws devoured cities, Seraphel’s purges incinerated dissenters, and Xyraxis’s Witherplague crumbled stone, the empire faced collapse. High Matriarch Elyra Veilbloom of the Saffron Healers, foreseeing the emperor’s death as a blow to Ecliptica’s morale, urged Eldric to flee with his royal guard. Using a Veil rift stabilized by skywardens (Skyrunner’s Guild precursors), Eldric escaped to the highlands, where Albion later formed from the empire’s remnants.

Eldric’s flight preserved the imperial line but left Crownspire leaderless, allowing the Iron Quill’s ancestors to seize power. From exile, Eldric sent missives to coordinate the empire’s survivors, supporting the Saffron Healers’ Voidbind Ritual to seal the Eldritch Gods in the Outer Darkness beneath Crownspire. Eldric died decades later, his lifespan extended by Saffron Veil elixirs, and his descendants, sustained by alchemical rituals, ruled the nascent Albion.

Three hundred years later, King Thorne II, a human monarch preserved by arcane longevity, initiated Ravensgate’s magical lockdown a decade ago as a defense protocol. Detecting the Aetherian seal’s weakening—leaking Xyraxis’s Witherplague and Nyrathos’s Whisperplague—Thorne ordered the Iron Quill to erect rune-wards, isolating the city. His missives now guide governance, trade, and plague containment, but suspicions of Iron Quill corruption prompt covert aid to Plague Doctors. Thorne’s highland court, shadowed by Zephyrus’s omens, teeters on paranoia, fearing an eldritch resurgence.

Key Events and Impacts:

  • Eldric’s Exile (300 Years Ago): Elyra Veilbloom’s plea saved Eldric, preserving the imperial line but leaving Crownspire (Ravensgate) to the Iron Quill’s rise. The royal guard, led by the half-elf Captain Vaelor Ironshield, protected Eldric, but most human guards died over centuries, their descendants serving Thorne. The Saffron Veil’s sacrifice earned Albion’s trust.

  • Lockdown Initiation (10 Years Ago): Thorne II’s decree, enacted through Iron Quill rune-wards, quarantined Ravensgate to contain the seal’s leaks. This isolated denizens, fueling riots in the District of Desolation and distrust from the City Watch and Verdant Covenant.

  • Missive Network: Established by Eldric’s scribes and continued by Thorne, this system uses Skyrunner’s Guild couriers to bypass lockdown rifts. Ebon Star agents, drawn by Xulthar’s voids, threaten these channels, risking plague-tainted relics reaching the king.

Faction Impacts:

  • Order of the Saffron Veil: Their role in Eldric’s escape and god-sealing cemented Albion’s trust, but dwindling resources strain their lockdown enforcement. Thorne’s missives bolster their authority, though some suspect royal plague ties.

  • Council of the Iron Quill: As Thorne’s intermediaries, they wield power but hoard resources, fueling distrust. The king’s scrutiny drives their covert Ebon Star alliances.

  • City Watch: Loyal to Thorne, they resent Iron Quill dominance, relying on missives for legitimacy while guarding seal anchors.

  • Verdant Covenant: Distrustful of royal authority, they view Thorne’s lockdown as Aetherian hubris, clashing with Iron Quill agents.

  • Ebon Star: Seeking to unravel the seal, they intercept missives, using Nyrathos’s whispers to sow paranoia in Thorne’s court.

  • Skyrunner’s Guild: Their rift-courier role ties them to Thorne, but eldritch taint risks their loyalty.

  • Aetherian Remnant: Divided over aiding Thorne or exploiting the plague, they hoard relics the king seeks for cures.

Characters:

  1. King Thorne II

    • Description: Aged human, brass crown, weary eyes, sustained by alchemical elixirs.

    • Backstory: Eldric IV’s descendant, initiated Ravensgate’s lockdown, sends missives to Iron Quill. Offers royal relics for cures (Persuasion DC 15).

  2. Elyra Veilbloom’s Spirit

    • Description: Ghostly elf, saffron-veiled, radiant scars.

    • Backstory: Calamity-era Saffron Veil leader, urged Eldric’s flight, died sealing gods. Haunts Aetherian ruins, guiding Plague Doctors (Religion DC 14).

  3. Captain Vaelor Ironshield

    • Description: Ancient half-elf, dented armor, resolute gaze, long-lived.

    • Backstory: Eldric’s guard captain, now leads Thorne’s sentinels. Sends agents to Ravensgate, aiding seal defenses (Insight DC 14).

  4. Scribe Lyssara Quillveil

    • Description: Young elf, inky fingers, trembling hands, descendant of Eldric’s scribes.

    • Backstory: Iron Quill intermediary, deciphers Thorne’s missives, suspects Ebon Star tampering. Trades intel for protection (Investigation DC 16).

  5. Voidwhisperer Kael Duskveil

    • Description: Corrupted human, void-tattooed, manic grin, sustained by Xulthar’s pacts.

    • Backstory: Descendant of royal guard, turned Ebon Star agent, leaks missives. Fights players (CR 3, Spy).

  6. Mistcaller Toren Fogveil

    • Description: Aarakocra courier, misty feathers, whispering voice.

    • Backstory: Skyrunner’s Guild member, uses Zephyrus’s omens to deliver missives through rifts. Guides Plague Doctors to highland outposts (Arcana DC 15).

  7. Farseer Vionna Starveil

    • Description: Elven bard, thorn-wreathed lute, haunted eyes, long-lived.

    • Backstory: Thorne’s court seer, sings to soothe rift storms, warns of Ebon Star threats to the seal (Performance DC 14).

Impacts on Ravensgate:
King Thorne II’s lockdown, authorized a decade ago, isolates Ravensgate to protect the Aetherian seal, but its leaks fuel the plague, driving riots in the District of Desolation. From his highland fortress, Thorne’s missives to the Iron Quill direct resources, but suspicions of their corruption prompt covert aid to Plague Doctors. The Skyrunner’s Guild couriers, like Toren Fogveil, risk Xulthar’s voids to deliver relics, while Ebon Star agents exploit Nyrathos’s whispers to intercept them. Thorne’s alchemical longevity, tied to Saffron Veil elixirs, sparks rumors of eldritch pacts, worsened by Zaladria’s illusions. Plague Doctors must secure missive routes, protect royal agents, and uncover plague sources, risking betrayal (Insight DC 14) as Thorne’s desperate decrees mirror Ravensgate’s dread, teetering on the edge of a second Calamity.