History Characters / SeventhSeaNationsOfThea

* SouthpawAdvantage: In the First Edition, being left-handed is an advantage with a tangible combat benefit, with the conceit that everyone is used to fighting right handed opponents more.]] Vodacce characters can buy this advantage at a discount, and everyone who learns the Ambrogia Swordsman School, the main school of Vodacce swashbucklers, gets this advantage for free when using the style.

** [[WarriorPrince Ilya Sladivgorod Nikolovich]], the disowned son of the Czar Gaius Iriney [[HasTwoMommies and his now dead husband Nikolai]] via a surrogate. Ilya spent his exile in the far east of Ussura earning a reputation as a true hero. He has returned to claim the crown with the support of the peasants he spent so much of his life helping. The Bogatyr nobles view Ilya as a hothead unwilling to see that Ussura is falling further behind the rest of Theah by sticking to the traditions of the peasants.

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: The Atabean Trading Company was formed when various apprentices in the League took their business philosophies and turned them up a notch. The rampant pursuit of wealth and power by these wayward employees has led to the horror of the Slave Trade in the Atabean and Ifri, along with a meteoric rise in their company value- all in the space of thirty years. The League is ''itching'' for an opportunity to strangle the ATC in its cradle after seeing what they've become.

->"When the gentry dresses as well as I, then our nation is full, lush, rich and strong. When one sees a merchant do it, it is time for higher taxes." -- L'Empereur Leon XIV

->"You share the warmth or die from the cold." -- Ussuran Proverb

[[Characters/SeventhSea Click here to return to the character page.]]

->"In this land, Immortality is a reality. Make yourself a story and you'll live forever." -- Jeremiah Berek

* MadDoctor: The source of many of the Horrors in Eisen's mountain regions. Less ethical sorcerors and alchemists have found numerous old castles to take over and practice less ethical experiments within. Most villagers become overpowered by the monsters unleashed before they can reach for their TorchesAndPitchforks.

* DealWithTheDevil: Sarmatian magic entails making pacts with otherworldly creatures called ''dievai''. Each pact comes with a request from the Dievai -- anything from "Buy that homeless man a hot meal" up to "Kill that priest and frame the poor widow down the road for his murder" (although Deals the ''losejas'' in question actually knows force ''dievai'' into [[PokeThePoodle extremely minor]] deals like "actually thank me for my help", and a bank of these can be built up before needing more major favors). Another contract cannot be made with the dievai until the request is fulfilled. LoopholeAbuse ("the old man died before I could get there.") usually sees the ''dievai'' demand an even more harsh favor be fulfilled before it will make another contract. Those who make these pacts view themselves as jailers to the creatures and do their utmost ''not'' to make the seventh and final pact -- the one that will let the creature free to roam the world.

* GuardianEntity: Matyushka, through and through, along with many other major and minor Leshiye. Foreign invaders will find themselves cold, starving, and unable to find any sufficient shelter -- largely thanks to these entities.

* CastFromLifespan: Vesten warriors may take the Bearsark Advantage, which whips them into a superhuman fury at the expense of aging 1 week for each round it's active.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[spoiler:After several books setting him up as the ultimate CorruptCorporateExecutive, Val Mokk, leader of the Vendel League, turns out to be one of Théah's nicest Heroes.]]

* ThatThingIsNotMyChild: The Atabean Trading Company was formed when various apprentices in the League took their business philosophies and turned them UpToEleven. The rampant pursuit of wealth and power by these wayward employees has led to the horror of the Slave Trade in the Atabean and Ifri, along with a meteoric rise in their company value- all in the space of thirty years. The League is ''itching'' for an opportunity to strangle the ATC in its cradle after seeing what they've become.

* BraveScot: The Highland Marchers are the best warriors Queen Elaine (Or [[TheCoup her enemies]]) can put on the field of battle. Especially since she ordered all standing armies disbanded in favor of creating the Avalonian Navy.

* TheLostWoods: Though it borders on being a GreenHillZone the Highland Marches are the most impoverished lands within Avalon. The wilderness isn't fit for farming and the lack of war with outside aggressors means the warrior clans aren't occupied with defending the Queen and Country.

!!Montaigne ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancien_R%C3%A9gime Ancien-Regime France]])

** As of the 2nd edition, [[spoiler: all of this seems to have been retconned, with the space behind portals instead consisting of a DreamWorld known as "The Walkway". It is extraordinarily mutable and responds to thought, meaning it's incredibly deadly [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve because hundreds of sorcerers all over Montaigne believe this to be the case.]] Someone with sufficiently powerful willpower ''can'' open their eyes and remain unharmed. In fact, ancient sorcerers have used this quality of the Walkway in order to craft personal dream paradises where they live to this very day...]]

* {{Spexico}}: For representing Spain in a world without any Americas, there sure is a lot of Mexican/Latin American influence.
** As of Second Edition, the Castillian court is hosting more and more figures from the New World. Their cultural influence on Castille's politics is slowly degrading the power of the Inquisition and justifying this trope.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: And '''HOW'''. The court of l'Empereur is a veritable playground for the rich, where a display in bad manners can get one quickly exiled to the periphery of the realm- a fate worse than death to the pompous nobility.

* [[BraveScot Brave Highlander]]: The Highland Marchers are the best warriors Queen Elaine (Or [[TheCoup her enemies]]) can put on the field of battle. Especially since she ordered all standing armies disbanded in favor of creating the Avalonian Navy.

* [[ViolentGlaswegian Violent Highland Marcher]]: The Highlanders are constantly looking for fights to engage in- historically with themselves or recently with Avalon's enemies. Now that the nation is at peace and unified, two factions have formed in Highland society. Some are seeking adventure on the high seas to bring back treasure and glory. Others see they are working twice as hard and still impoverished and are preparing to declare independence from Queen Elaine- against the wishes of their own King.

->"To Learn the mind of God, study first His Creation."
[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/castille.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:217:Castille- where you can propose Heliocentrism and be made a ''Bishop'' for it.]]
Castille is a nation wrapped in religious tradition and scientific progress. The seat of the Vaticine Church, the Third Prophet brought his teachings of hatred toward sorcery to this land, built a seat of power in Vaticine City, and lead a religious conquest that established the dominance of the Church after the fall of the Numanari Empire. Its piety and devotion to learning meant Castille stood on the highest peaks of prestige in Theah which has made its fall all the more tragic.

The disastrous thirty year long War of the Cross between the Vaticine and Objectionist churches crippled the army in Eisen, saw their mighty fleet destroyed by Avalon's sea dogs, and nearly cost them everything when the Montaigne invaded. The final blow came with the death of King Salvador- his son, Sandoval, was too young to inherit the throne and his mother had no political capital to have a say governing affairs or overrule the ''ducados'', nor is there currently a Hierophant of the Church to help guide the nation as a spiritual regent. The vaunted ''Tercios'' that brought Castille such prestige on the battlefield have deserted after too many broken promises were made to them, and the ''ducados'' are too busy fighting over their regional affairs to organize in defense of the old regime. The Vaticine Inquisition now rules the country and is driving it into Dark Age of Learning by burning "heretical" books and imprisoning teachers and foreign religious scholars, with the teenage King Sandoval as their "guest of honor" in Vaticine City.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ceebea51f5ffffebdeacaa16baff80bc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250: Frau Posen, who may carry Eisen back to unification. She's certainly got the arms to do it.]]

Soon the other Thean nations saw an opportunity to carve up the most powerful empire of Theah and descended on it in force, a pack of vultures and hyenas killing a pride of warring lions. The War of the Cross left every participant shaken. Eisen is now an empty shell- millions are dead, others are starving by inches in its darkened woods, monsters out of folklore leave the countryside and deep, dark places to claim its ruins as their own, and the few safe cities are preoccupied with who will be elected as the next Imperator.

* DontGoIntoTheWoods: Unless you fancy socializing with undead, werewolves, mad scientists, or Eldritch Abominations, best to stay on the roads or in the cities.

* GratuitousGerman: Gratuitous and ''wrong'' as usual. The Eisen inventor of the guillotine called it "die Toetenklinge", which translates to "the to kill blade".

* LandOfFaerie: The forests of Eisen are usually hives of monsters and Horrors- but the Angehneme Wald is home to the immortal Perchta, a Sidhe expelled from Avalon in ancient days. She holds court within the woods as a Queen and any human who begs shelter and safety receives it- but may never leave the Wald without her express permission. Those who venture into the Angehneme find themselves bound to certain codes- namely that [[CannotTellALie dishonesty]], [[SacredHospitality poor manners]], and [[EquivalentExchange taking more than one gives]] are subject to [[GaiasVengeance consequences]].

** It's heavily suggested in some of the GM's sections that dracheneisen is actually [[spoiler: a form of pottery that's hardened and shined up through secret alchemical practices, and that the "mines" are actually clay beds.]] Whether this makes any logical sense, as the stuff is nigh-indestructible, is left up to the player to decide.
*** Considering its main points are way stronger then metal, way lighter then metal, and the abovementioned technology, it's pretty clearly [[spoiler: a medieval CARBON FIBRE!]]

->"When the gentry dresses as well as I, then our nation is full, lush, rich and strong. When one sees a merchant do it, it is time for higher taxes." -- L'Empereur Leon XIV

The center of art and culture in Theah, the entire continent looks to the court of l'Empereur Leon Alexandre for the latest in dress, manners, gossip, and politics. While the nobility frit away the hours over feasts and dances, the peasants of Montaigne eke ever farther into poverty and starvation to provide the means for the nobles to keep up their lavish lifestyle. They have even been denied the comfort of the Vaticine Church, as l'Empereur will suffer no organization in his nation that will not recognize his supremacy on Terra. Only the vaunted Musketeers, a thousand men and women, work to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. In a nation where the army, courts, and government are devoted to keeping them subservient, the peasants can still hope for some measure of justice to come from the Musketeers. And should they fail, the peasants may look to that new invention- the guillotine...

* [[spoiler: ForegoneConclusion]]: All the nations of Théah are loosely based on European nations at a specific point in time, with Montaigne drawing clearly from Alexandre Dumas' works. [[spoiler: That is, from stories set just before UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution...]]

* HeirClubForMen: l'Empereur Leon XIV has had '''nine''' daughters so far, and no sons, [[spoiler: due to a curse his mother spat from her deathbed.]]

->"All are Equal. Even Kings."

[[caption-width-right:319:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zmIj_4LFQ Then the Winged Hussars arrive!]] ]]

A combination of the ancient kingdoms of Sarmatia and Curonia, this is also a revolutionary nation in the realms of Theah as the Sarmatian Commonwealth has enacted a new form of government through "Golden Liberty". By proclamation of the King (in response to a political crisis), every man and woman in the Commonwealth has been raised to the rank of Knight and is therefore eligible to vote in the Sarmatian Senate. While nobility in Theah looks to Montaigne for art and culture, Sarmatians are looking to their peasantry for inspiration. Chivalry and gallantry are returning, noble dress is less ostentatious and more practical, and the common folk of both Sarmatia and Curonia now feel that they have a personal stake in the success and failure of their nation.

The Sarmatian Commonwealth was added to the world of Terra in the Second Edition after (per WordOfGod) the Polish Role-playing Game community continued to support the 7th Sea game line even after its heyday had passed in the United States, but they lamented a lack of a Polish-analogue nation.

->"You share the warmth or die from the cold." -- Ussuran Proverb

The largest nation in Theah by far, to outsiders the nation of Ussura is a foreboding wasteland of high mountains, dark forests, and deadly tundra. And they are absolutely correct in these assumptions. To ''Ussurans'' blessed by the touch of Matyushka, the land is everything they need it to be- nothing more and nothing less. The goddess ensures that her people are warm enough, fed enough, and sheltered enough to survive the brutality of their winters. Invaders find no wild game, no shelter, and deathly cold that cuts to the bone when they cross into her realm.

->"Two hundred years ago, they raided and pillaged without mercy. The only thing that’s changed? They pounded their swords into coins.”

Long ago, the Vestenmannavnjar were the terror of Theah. From Avalon to Ussura to Eisen and Montaigne, their longships prowled the coasts while their warriors engaged in casual RapePillageAndBurn behavior. Then, almost 200 years ago, the plunder ran out and the noble lords couldn't afford to pay their warriors on these expeditions. Meanwhile the merchant classes were being harried by pirates across the seas. The three factions- nobility, warriors, and merchants- struck a deal that had a profound effect on Theah for generations to come, forming a confederation of merchant guilds known as The Vendel League. The Nobility provided land, the warriors gave security, and the merchants moved product across the known world.

->"If asked to describe Vodacce with a single word, I would respond: 'Treacherous.'"

And it is always ''his'' rivals. Vodacce women are in possession of the most powerful sorcery known to Theans -- that of Strega -- bending fate itself to empower or doom anyone they choose. The princes have held an ancient compact that keeps women from using this power to usurp them or ever holding any political power. No Fate Witch may learn to read, write, or count. Every woman is tested for potential as a witch -- those who show the gift are quickly secluded and traded as bargaining chips by their noble family. Those who do not go on to become common laborers or perhaps (if they show enough aptitude in wit, entertainment, and love) rise through the ranks of society as Courtesans.

* NoWomansLand: In a stark exception to the rest of Theah, being a woman in Vodacce is ''miserable,'' and Theus help you if you're a Strega.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: But not in the way you'd think-- Playing dirty is expected in Vodacce, but they have an honor-code which no noble (particularly gentlemen and -women) will lightly disregard. Of course, Vodacce being Vodacce, adherence to the Code varies.
* SchoolOfSeduction: Vodacce women can seek professional training to become courtesans; essentially they're very expensive prostitutes who hope to find an assortment of rich noble to earn a living from. However, Vodacce courtesans are also given the chance to be educated (unlike noblewomen and Strega, who are kept illiterate), and many are appreciated for their intelligence and wit as well as their beauty. Plus, without the benefits of an organization such as the Jenny's Guild, these schools are the only places a Courtesan may earn a living after her prime years are passed.
** One of the most well known schools in Second Edition is ''La Passione'', a former church that is not owned by any of the Merchant families, but is instead owned by the courtesan Desiderata. Here, potential courtesans are taught to fight elegantly with multiple weapons, make love with impeccable skill, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking learn how to read.]]

** As of Second Edition, the Vesten rely on [[TheJudge traditional authorities]] to settle all internal disputes. By and large the people are very satisfied with these authorities as they have been empowered by the League to levy fines in the name of justice- the more powerful Jarls must pay for any transgressions or risk losing their standing within the League.

* ASinisterClue: In the First Edition, being left-handed is [[TheSouthpaw an advantage with a tangible combat benefit, with the conceit that everyone is used to fighting right handed opponents more.]] Vodacce characters can buy this advantage at a discount, and everyone who learns the Ambrogia Swordsman School, the main school of Vodacce swashbucklers, gets this advantage for free when using the style.

[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/SeventhSea Click Here to return to the Character Page.]]

The Glamour Isles is a union of three countries: the magical nation of Avalon, the ancient land of Inismore, and the impoverished but proud Highland Marches; recently the magical Sidhe have begun to enter the Glamour Isles more and more, bringing a strange fourth people to the halls of power here. Each has their own monarch and ruling body, but all three answer to Queen Elaine of Avalon.

Eisen's Imperator held the many provinces together and was feared and respected by all the monarchs of Theah. But it took a religious Civil War to begin the downward spiral. Eisen cities sheltered the Vaticine Objectionists from the Inquisition, which led to Eisen Vaticines attacking and killing their neighbors. Soon the other Thean nations saw an opportunity to carve up the most powerful land nation in Theah and descended on it in force. The War of the Cross left every participant shaken. Eisen is now an empty shell- millions are dead, others are starving by inches in the wilderness, monsters out of folklore leaving the woods and deep, dark places to claim it as their own, and the few safe cities are preoccupied with who will be elected as the next Imperator.

The disastrous thirty year long War of the Cross between the Vaticine and Objectionist churches crippled the army in Eisen, saw their mighty fleet destroyed by Avalon's sea dogs, and nearly cost them everything when the Montaigne invaded. The final blow came with the death of King Salvador- his son, Sandoval, is too young to inherit the throne and his mother had no political capital to have a say governing affairs, nor is there a Hierophant of the Church to help guide the nation. The vaunted ''Tercios'' that brought Castille such prestige on the battlefield have deserted after too many broken promises were made to them, and the ''ducados'' are too busy fighting over their regional affairs to organize in defense of the old regime. The Vaticine Inquisition now rules the country and is driving it into Dark Age of Learning by burning "heretical" books and imprisoning teachers and foreign religious scholars, with the teenage King Sandoval as their "guest of honor" in Vaticine City.

Castille is a nation wrapped in religious tradition and scientific progress. The seat of the Vaticine Church, the Third Profit brought his teachings of hatred toward sorcery to this land, built a seat of power in Vaticine City, and lead a religious conquest that established the dominance of the Church after the fall of the Numanari Empire. Its piety and devotion to learning meant Castille stood on the highest peaks of prestige in Theah which has made its fall all the more tragic.

* AChildShallLeadThem: King Sandoval is only in his mid-teens, never expected to become king, and is the head of a country engulfed in war with Montaigne. That's rough, buddy.
** [[spoiler: As of Second Edition, there's not one Sandoval, but two. The role of King is actually shared by Amadeo Sandoval and his twin sister, Rocio. The birth of the twins is a carefully kept secret of the Royal Family- even the Inquisition is unaware of Rocio's existence. The two looked so much alike that they alternated who sat the throne while the other learned the truth of how the the Inquisition was running the nation by wandering the city streets. After recent political shenanigans, Amadeo has been made a "guest" of the Inquisition in Vaticine City while Rocio secretly plans his rescue.]]

** Family is everything, and family begins with the mother. [[NeverMessWithGranny Castillian matriarchs]] are held in opposite standing as their [[StayInTheKitchen Vodacce neighbors.]]
** Castille was the first Vaticine nation in Theah. The power of the Church is absolute, which has had [[ScienceHero its benefits]] [[FamilyValuesVillain and problems.]]

* HeroismIncentive: When Montaigne invaded Castille during the tail end of the War of the Cross, the crown called on the famous Tercios to take up arms to defend the nation, promising gold and land to the mercenaries. Of course, they neglected to mention they were broke from the disastrous Castillian Armada sinking off the coast of Avalon, which lead to-
** HeroismWontPayTheBills: By the time Montaigne withdrew its troops, the Tercios realized no payment was coming and quit the army, becoming wandering mercenaries and looking for work elsewhere.
* PlayingWithFire: El Fuego Adentro, the Castillian sorcerous lineage, allows control of any fire and immunity to being hurt by fire and heat of any temperature. It was wiped out by the Inquisition. [[spoiler: There's a few families still left, though.]]
** As of Second Edition, this tradition has been completely replaced with UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} in the system.

->"The priests keep telling me that the Prophets will bring us all together in the next life. I find this hard to believe, since they’ve torn us apart in this one."

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ceebea51f5ffffebdeacaa16baff80bc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250: Frau Posen, who may carry Eisen back to unification. She's certainly got the arms to do it.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: Sarmatian magic entails making pacts with otherworldly creatures called ''dievai.'' Each pact comes with a request from the Dievai- anything from "Buy that homeless man a hot meal" up to "Kill that priest and frame the poor widow down the road for his murder" (although Deals the ''losejas'' in question actually knows force ''dievai'' into [[PokeThePoodle extremely minor]] deals like "actually thank me for my help", and a bank of these can be built up before needing more major favors). Another contract cannot be made with the dievai until the request is fulfilled. LoopholeAbuse ("The Old Man died before I could get there.") usually sees the ''dievai'' demand an even more harsh favor be fulfilled before it will make another contract. Those who make these pacts view themselves as jailers to the creatures and do their utmost ''not'' to make the seventh and final pact -- the one that will let the creature free to roam the world.

->"If asked to describe Vodacce with a single word, I would respond: ‘Treacherous.’"
[[quoteright:217:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vodacce.png]]
[[caption-width-right:217:Go ahead. [[TooDumbToLive Tell her to stay in the kitchen]].]]

And it is always ''his'' rivals. Vodacce women are in possession of the most powerful sorcery known to Theans- that of Strega- bending fate itself to empower or doom anyone they choose. The princes have held an ancient compact that keeps women from using this power to usurp them or ever holding any political power. No Fate Witch may learn to read, write, or count. Every woman is tested for potential as a witch- those who show the gift are quickly secluded and traded as bargaining chips by their noble family. Those who do not go on to become common laborers or perhaps (if they show enough aptitude in wit, entertainment, and love) rise through the ranks of society as Courtesans.

--> "In Vodacce, we do not say that a man has poor luck. We say that he was ''pushed''."

* ASinisterClue: In the First Edition, being left-handed is [[TheSouthpaw an advantage with a tangible combat benefit, with the conceit that everyone is used to fighting right handed opponents more.]] Vodacce characters can buy this advantage at a discount, and everyone who learns the Ambrogia Swordsman School, the main school of Vodacce swashbucklers, gets this advantage for free when using the style.

Theah is the original setting for 7th Sea. With Eisen in the center of the continent, one can find the Vendel to the North, the Ussurans to the Northeast, the Sarmatians to the East, the Vodacce to the Southeast, the Castillians to the South, the Montaigne to the West, and the Glamour Isles (Avalon, Innismore, and the Highland Marches) to the Northwest.

->"In this land, Immortality is a reality. Make yourself a story and you'll live forever." - Jeremiah Berek

* StayInTheKitchen: Played straight and Subverted - at the same time. Highland women exist in a similar social climate to the Vodacce. They are treated as subservient to men in public, cannot own property, and are barred from politics. Outside of these restrictions, they are given the same stature as Castillian Matriarchs when it comes to handling money, working as political counselors, and fighting in the Highlands' army.

->"When the gentry dresses as well as I, then our nation is full, lush, rich and strong. When one sees a merchant do it, it is time for higher taxes.” - L'Empereur Leon XIV
[[quoteright:227:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/montaigne.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:227:FrenchJerk? Maybe. But she can still kick your butt with style.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: Sarmatian magic entails making pacts with otherworldly creatures called ''dievai.'' Each pact comes with a request from the Dievai- anything from "Buy that homeless man a hot meal" up to "Kill that priest and frame the poor widow down the road for his murder" (although Deals the ''losejas'' in question actually knows force ''dievai'' into [[PokeThePoodle extremely minor]] deals like "actually thank me for my help", and a bank of these can be built up before needing more major favors). Another contract cannot be made with the dievai until the request is fulfilled. LoopholeAbuse ("The Old Man died before I could get there.") usually sees the ''dievai'' demand an even more harsh favor be fulfilled before it will make another contract. Those who make these pacts view themselves as jailers to the creatures and do their utmost ''not'' to make the seventh and final pact - the one that will let the creature free to roam the world.

* ElectiveMonarchy: How the Commonwealth establishes its next King or Queen. The current King's son, Stanislaw II, is trying to secure enough votes among the people to make himself the next King. Stanislaw is competing with his [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething extremely capable,]] [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen endearing,]] [[WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou and loving]] mother for the crown.

->"You share the warmth or die from the cold." - Ussuran Proverb
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ussuran.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:200:In Czarist Ussura, Matyushka protects YOU!]]

* FisherKing: The Ussuran Gaius doesn't have a great deal of actual political power - but when he tells you to do something, you either do it, or Ussura itself ensures you regret not doing so.
* GuardianEntity: Matyushka, through and through, along with many other major and minor Leshiye. Foreign invaders will find themselves cold, starving, and unable to find any sufficient shelter- largely thanks to these entities.

** [[WarriorPrince Ilya Sladivgorod Nikolovich,]] the disowned son of the Czar Gaius Iriney [[HasTwoMommies and his now dead husband Nikolai]] via a surrogate. Ilya spent his exile in the far east of Ussura earning a reputation as a true hero. He has returned to claim the crown with the support of the peasants he spent so much of his life helping. The Bogatyr nobles view Ilya as a hothead unwilling to see that Ussura is falling further behind the rest of Theah by sticking to the traditions of the peasants.
** [[TheSparkOfGenius Ketheryna Fischler Dimitritova,]] the bride Czar Gaius married on the night of his death. Ketheryna's vision of a modernized Ussura has brought her the support of the nobility in the country. A genius inventor and an Eisen by birth, the peasants view her as a dangerous outsider who doesn't respect the rustic Ussuran way of life.

* TheHighQueen: Queen Elaine rules Avalon with the assent of Jack O'Bannon, the consent of the Highland Marches clans, and the power of the Sidhe Graal. By all accounts she's well liked by most people in all three nations, though each nation has its grievances whether they resent giving up sovereignty to her, do not appreciate the Sidhe warping their lands, or are unhappy with Elaine's unwillingness to marry. There may be a reason [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer for that]] [[BiTheWay last one.]]

** [[TheSparkOfGenius Ketheryna Fischler Dimitritova,]] the bride [[BiTheWay Czar Gaius]] married on the night of his death. Ketheryna's vision of a modernized Ussura has brought her the support of the nobility in the country. A genius inventor and an Eisen by birth, the peasants view her as a dangerous outsider who doesn't respect the rustic Ussuran way of life.