The Interregnum Saga is an Low Fantasy work by alchixinren that focuses on the disintegration and reconstruction of the Kingdom of the Riognan, seen through the eyes of the players in the saga. It consists of three works:
- Interregnum's Dawn: The year is 2491. King Caetigern VII is aged and sickly, and has left no issue. The throne is set to pass to the line of his cousin, Lord Ardghal, Marc of the house of Seabahc. However, he too lies on the brink on death, brought on by a hunting wound. The natural conclusion: his young daughter, Finella, seems to be heir apparent. The very idea sparks off a local rebellion that soon mounts into total anarchy. Alliances are made and broken freely, and by the end there are only overlords, squaring against each other for power.
- The Interregnum: The chronicles of the three decades of anarchy and infighting in the land of Riocht. The lives of warlords, assassins, craftsmen and priests alike are examined as power shifts from hand to hand.
- Interregnum's Dusk: Now, in 2525, The Alliance of the Three (self-titled) Princes forms between the three most powerful lords in an attempt to weed out the weaker landlords. In the meantime, unrest begins to form in the underestates, and Finella still remains a major player, pushing for her son Yvain to claim the throne. The interregnum's end is at hand - the only question remains as to whose.
The main focus of the series, as mentioned above, is the military-political machinations of the era, but also takes a look at the impact of the tumultuous times of the interregnum on the "ordinary" people of the time. Various High Fantasy tropes are given a spin through a decidedly Low Fantasy lens, and Grayand Grey Morality is the order of the day. The events of all three are seen through a multitude of viewpoint characters, seen in this here Character Sheet.
A companion piece to ''Twenty Nine-Ninety One, and exists about five hundred years previous in the same timeline.
The Interregnum Saga provides examples of the following tropes:
- Alternative Calendar: Years since the Dawn of the First Kings, same as in 2991.
- The year lasts 291 days, divided into 9 months of 37 days (6 weeks plus the extra day).
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Fair Folk have their own rules.
- Breast Plate: Averted. The minimum is a suit of mail, or at the least padded leather.
- Fantasy Gun Control: Only the richer barons have means to construct and use cannon.
- Fantastic Racism: Dwarves are treated much like thralls, some lower than even the human serfs. Elves are mostly only looked on as good for fighting.
- Functional Magic: Of the Theurgy sort, mixed with Wild Magic and Elemental Powers. All magic is done by fae; warlocks merely have the gift of being able to communicate with (and more difficultly) commanding them. Some Fae themselves are divided into the four elements - Pixies (Fire), Nyx (Water), Sprites (Air), Faun (Earth).
- Elemental Powers: Divided into Fire, Water, Air and Earth, with rumours of a Aether.
- Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors: Fire > Air > Earth > Water > Fire; Water and Air combine to form Storm and Fire and Earth form to combine Metal - the combineds have both strengths and neither weakness. Aether is feared because it can transmute one element to another, being a total Game-Breaker.
- Not all fae fall into the four elements, and some are considerably more mischeivous or outright vicious; only daring warlocks make deals with goblins and psotniks.
- Elemental Powers: Divided into Fire, Water, Air and Earth, with rumours of a Aether.
- Gray-and-Grey Morality: In the multitude of wars and shifting alliances, no faction can really be said to hold the moral high ground. However, certain lords and vassals are decidedly less sympathetic, seeing how they treat their underclasses.
- Medieval Stasis: Technological and scientific development takes approxmiately twice as long in this universe than in our reality, so this is roughly The High Middle Ages.
- Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Subverted. Dwarves are an underclass within the human lands, confined to being miners, craftsmen and metalworkers. The rare dwarven warriors are frequently undertrained and underequipped. However, their hold over the technology of cannon has given them an unprecedented bargaining chip.
- Our Elves Are Different: The elves of this setting mainly live in bands of brigands or mercenaries. Their combat skill is coveted by many of the feuding lords. They also have a closer affinity to the Fae than either humans or dwarves, and it is theorised they share common ancestry - however shrouded in myth such a claim is.
- Our Fairies Are Different: Overlaps with The Fair Folk. All 'magic' in Interregnum is done by marshalling fae - from the dozens up to thousands, depending on the power of the wizard.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something
- Standard Royal Court: The nobility of the land is divided as such:
- The King of the Riognan is the one overlord over the entire continent.
- After him are the Marcs, vassals to the King who have vassals themselves.
- These vassals are titled Erils, who have Carls (knights) under their command.
- Succession Crisis: The catalyst for all the events.
