History of Theland

This is the history of Theland as explained to Alec by the Queen’s royal scholars, and as augmented by Alec’s personal experiences. 

The history of Theland has been passed down through the generations mostly through oral traditions, although some written texts survive. The most relevant manuscript is the ancient Book of Queens, which has been passed down from Queen to daughter for over 500 years. Few, if any, of the scholars have seen or read it.

The Founding. Theland was founded by Lian, the First Mother, or the First Queen. About 500 years ago, five Elf Mothers and their clutches left the elf colony, the New Haven, over a disagreement regarding the elves’ involvement in the civil war, and started a new free colony. They named their new location the Free City; over time the name has evolved to Freeland City. The land around Freeland City became known as Theland. The five elves became known as the Founding Five or the Original Five.

Lian was the leader of the Founding Five. After establishing their new colony the other elf Mothers decided that Lian would be their Queen, and her direct descendants have ruled Theland ever since that time. Two of the other Founding Five – Gwyn and Vly – have descendants that remain in Theland to this day, but the other Founding Five lines have died out over the ensuing generations. At first, many elves were born in Theland, but a full-elf has not been born in the country for over 100 years. The remaining descendants of the Founding Five are cross-breeds, and have varying degrees of elven blood. Each of the Original Five founding elves owned a set of elf rings; now, Queen Therin has a set, Erin has a set, and the other sets have been lost through the ages.

Legends Regarding Lian. The scholars have many legends related to Lian, as passed along through oral history. Lian was the author of The Book of Queens, which contains the stories of the original founding of Theland, although none of the scholars have been permitted to read it. Lian wrote The Book for her own daughter; The Book recounts Lian’s personal history, and establishes a set of guiding principles to be followed by future Queens regarding truth, justice, and fairness. 

The elves had established a new colony on Nevia to escape an interplanetary war. They called their colony New Haven. Lian is said to have been the first to be born in the New Haven in the new elf world, and was the daughter of the elf Syna. Lian was born about 550 years ago, and was a true, or full-blooded, elf. She claimed to be a direct descendant of the ‘Dragon Queen,’ but there is no other reference to this entity outside of The Book of Queens. The elf mythology also makes reference to the ‘False Dragon Queen’ and the conflict between the two Dragon Queens, but neither The Book nor the Theland scholars mention this.

The Culture. Other native peoples on Nevia joined the Founding Five and became citizens of Theland. Over time, a rural peasant class developed and most of the population of Theland now lives in villages scattered throughout the realm. To protect themselves from the elves of the New Haven, and other intruders, the citizens of Theland developed a warrior culture. Breeding is controlled and consorts are arranged to ensure that a race of strong warriors will continue. Because Theland is small and resources are scarce, everyone must work. Leisure activities include contests among warriors, usually involving a fight to the death in a public arena, raising prize livestock, and gambling. Families are small, and most people succumb to accidents or warfare before reaching an advanced age.

Governance. Theland is ruled by a Queen, currently Queen Therin. The Queen is assisted by a governing Council of noblemen who handle most of the day-to-day business of running the realm. The Queen makes major decisions involving the guidance of Theland, and dispenses justice, aided by the Stone of Justice (or Stone of Truth). The Council, particularly the Council Head, can exert political pressure on the Queen.

The Queenship is passed down from mother to daughter. Under the lineage of Lian, every Queen has one (and only one) daughter. If for some reason that daughter dies before ascending to the throne or producing an heir, the Council will name a close relative as Queen. There has never been a male ruler of Theland.

The governing body also includes some traditional positions. One of these is the Seer, a traditional role passed down from Mother to Daughter. The Seer can give advice or divine the future, aided by her ancient crystal. The Seer is presumably a descendant of the Founding Five, or their clutches, but the exact lineage has been lost to time. 

Topography. Theland is a small country. The only city is Freeland City, which is the seat of government, but there are many villages and small towns throughout the region. Theland is bisected by a river, the River Ryn, and ringed by mountains. The Evening Mountains lie towards Evening, and separate Theland from the Grasslands. The Grasslands are a vast plain; they are populated by warring tribes of nomads and punctuated by small villages governed by local nobility. Theland’s boundary in the Evening Mountains is not well-defined, although all agree that Mt. Eras, the tallest mountain in the chain, is part of Theland. The mountains are largely uninhabited but are used by Thelanders for hunting and mining. Above the headwaters of the Ryn lies Gott, a large country ruled by a set of noblemen. The boundary between Gott and Theland is well-established, and Gott is an ancient ally and trading partner with Theland. Moonward and towards Morning lie the Elf Mountains, a vast, rugged, uninhabited chain. The elves reside on the far side of the Elf Mountains. The Theland boundary in the Elf Mountains has never been established.