Jackal Among Snakes

Epilogue 3.3: Relics of a Bygone Time, Working Well Into Modernity

The Vasquer Standard

Elenore saw the completion of the capitol of the Blackgard Union during the Age of Revolutions. The Bastion, as it was later named by the people, came to embody the significance of her station by sheer force of necessity. The position of prime minister came to have so many offices serving it that the building needed to be enlarged. The bureaucracy that Elenore had established at the very beginning of the Blackgard Union did not stagnate where it’d been born—rather, just as the society had grown, so too had it.

Her reforms of the era split the power of her seat, but her workload had grown so intense it was necessary. Even despite this fragmentation, the last vestige of truly imperial power can be seen in the prime minister’s office. Every position that received some delegated authority remains directly appointed by the prime minister, and that seems unlikely to change. In practice, the prime minister still dictates the direction the government takes.

Elenore became an unwilling icon to the working women of the era. In civil service, where women had become extremely prominent, she set the standard that many of them aspired to. In wider intellectual movements, too, her continued quiet and skillful reign was heralded as the epitome of excellence. Elenore’s complete avoidance of these movements has ensured they never reached the heights of others of the age, but Prince Garm says their affection ‘wasn’t entirely hated by the esteemed prime minister.’

On the personal front, Elenore and Durran continued to raise a revolving door of orphaned children. Prince Garm deemed it ‘a hobby of theirs, wherein they would take in those young children visited by a great tragedy, and then expend their efforts toward ensuring the children achieved both great happiness and great success despite their misfortunes.’ When asked, Elenore merely claims it to be ‘small recompense for the good fortune I had to experience firsthand such a reversal of fate.’

Elenore and Durran had no more trueborn children after Therese, which was a point of small friction between the pair that nonetheless never amounted to genuine conflict; only a ‘few snide comments,’ according to Garm.

Sword and Shield

Galamon and Orion, once called the sword and shield of the empire, adapted to their changing roles well. The army, for its part, became far closer to something of that of state-funded workers. They still saw action, at many points—the imperial fleet, for its part, was constantly hard-pressed to keep the waters safe as trade began to explode. By and large, the soldiers engaged in far more acts of public benefit, such as laying out the railroads or expanding the sewer systems.

The Order of the Sun under Orion, meanwhile, expanded massively. They faced innumerable challenges as they did so. Anti-traditionalists decried the dated role of knights in an enlightened society, while instances of excessive force drew close scrutiny from the public eye. In the face of all that, the people constituting the order changed just as society did.

Speaking from my experience as a Knight of the Sun, it came to be one of the most difficult roles in society. Every day, the knights see the very lowest of society—rapists, murderers, thieves, appearing one after another. We see children enduring that which none should ever have to, and we have to deal with the aftermath of those who’ve taken their lives. We see all that drives men and women to crime, and we see all the misery resulting from illegality.

very difficult not to break beneath that strain. It very nearly did break me in 72AC, and

Union, and knights themselves a very prominent and celebrated citizenry. Orion, as their leader, dispelled the notion of superiority of arms entitling one to superiority of rights. He seemed the very

thing might’ve been controversial had his son not proven amply able of filling the role. He possessed the same bravery Orion did, while inheriting his Great Chu mother’s talent of magic. Archie beat the emperor himself in a sparring match, once, with the caveat that

Nation’s Architect

Age of Revolutions, the name ‘Artur’ became synonymous with that of a great creator or artist. It’s no wonder why—travelling through the Blackgard Union, should one see a piece of architecture or a monument that’s particularly striking, the name of its creator in almost invariably the same: Artur. And if it

constructions he produced in the Age of Reclamation continued on ad nauseum in the Age of Revolutions. He continued to receive innumerable honors from the crown, going

two days after his two hundred and twentieth birthday, Artur stopped working altogether. He retired with a woman of uncertain background, presumed by many to be a former goddess who survived the Last Calamity. When asked why, Artur simply said, ‘I have to

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final honor for all his good work, the date of his birth was declared a national holiday

Princes and Princesses

endured during the Age of Fury. The fifth princess, Gisele, proved to inherit her father’s radical anti-monarchism. She renounced her last name altogether—not out of malice toward her parents, but out of idealism—and went

Lieutenant General Abadon, commander of the seventh imperial army. Political parties and prominent businessmen increasingly attempted to exert influence over the armed forces. Abadon and

and Sixth Princess Hannelore reached the age of majority during the Age of Revolutions. Unlike their predecessors, they were largely removed from the public eye as the majority of the family transitioned to the island estate of Goldrest.

warm, sapphire-blue waters that grace it shores. No

describes

and the Magic of

endured no major revolution. Its knowledge was spread, yes, but spellcasters had been probing the depths of magic long before the Last Calamity ended. It’s been the interweaving of magical and mundane that has produced the most significant steps forward. It began in the field of healing arts with Raven—his methods

in the healing arts remain incredibly notable, even in this age—curing ailments such as arthritis, delaying the onset of dementia, and mitigating the negative effects of strokes stand as the most prominent examples. A great deal remains out of his reach of yet, and many of these treatments remain ridiculously costly, requiring the aid of an S-rank spellcaster.