SHADOWBOOK

When Nocturne Valley was first settled, it was a loose collection of mini-kingdoms. They were eventually unified under a High King, known as Nocturne. He is the direct ancestor of the current royal dynasty, but about half of Nocturne Valley’s denizens are somehow descended from him. Nocturne is more of a legend than a historical figure, with the various details of his life being mythologized over the centuries. It’s said that he could control all night creatures, that he was a demigod, that he will resurrect sometime when Umbragard has the greatest need of him. Only a handful of Shadows know his original name. Umbragard remains feudal, in that the land is maintained and managed by lords and ladies who act as overseers of the people who live on it, and participate in the royal court. But Shadows are not a warlike people, so while knights exist, lords and ladies are not necessarily warriors. That isn’t to say that Shadows haven’t had conflicts. Umbragard has had two long-standing rivals — the Twilight Lands, ruled by the Nightshade family, and the mysterious Underworld realm of Obscurus. The Nocturne and Nightshade families went back and forth for generations, sometimes fighting, sometimes intermarrying. This conflict finally ended when Erebus IV, the previous king, married the last heir to the Nightshade line. This formally annexed the Twilight Lands into Umbragard. Similarly, Umbragard has also had a tenuous relationship with the Underworld city of Obscurus. Umbragard exists in the dimension of Aion, and the Underworld is a separate dimension, so they don’t exactly “border” each other (hence why Obscurus is not on the map). But there has always been intermingling between Umbragardian and Obscuran Shadows, and more than once, the royal family has tried to claim Obscurus as an official province of Umbragard. The problem is that Obscurans don’t recognize political power, only magical power (which they view as more legitimate, becuase it is inherent). Obscurus didn’t officially become part of Umbragard until very recently, again through marriage. The current King of Umbragard is Eidolon Nocturne, known for his gentleness, wisdom, and compassion. He became king while very young, but has been a tenacious and effective ruler. Though he has a reputation for being soft, he is no pushover — he is actually a political mastermind who can expertly manipulate social dynamics. He is also a skilled diplomat, and has bolstered Umbragard’s trade relations with Fey, demons, and even Conscious people (i.e. normal humans). Eidos is very popular among Umbragard’s citizens, who view him as competent and relatively down-to-earth. Astor is significant because he will be the first monarch to directly inheret the Twilight Lands and Obscurus alongside the rest of Umbragard. It's also possible that he might inheret his aunt's territory, the Land of Undeath, and the neighboring witch kingdom of Styganwald. If this happens, Umbragard will have more territory than it ever has before under his rule.