Tyrion

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First Prince of Val-ar-Aion

"Have you ever noticed how time seems to pass more slowly here...?"

Tyrion the Studious. Val-ar-Aion's firstborn heir is known for always having his nose in a book. As a child, he delighted his Lightkeeper tutors with wisdom beyond his years, and became fascinated with history and political theory. The young prince is often the voice of reason and forbearance at his mother's diplomatic table.

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"Ah! Another visitor. Welcome to Val-ar-Aion, traveler. I am Tyrion, firstborn heir to the throne of this country. The hospitality of the City of Lamps is yours for as long as you wish. As you explore this place, you might find some of the words we use to be somewhat unfamiliar. I'd be happy to help you get your bearings and answer some of the questions you might have about our ways."

Who is the leader here?
"Well, that would be our Matriarch, Noc. Some also call her the Warqueen, or the Brighthammer, but those titles are only really useful when we're at war, which thankfully hasn't happened in centuries. Personally, I call her mother. On account of her being, well, my mother. Ahem. Usually she's quite busy with governing the city, but she isn't very hard to find. She's a great big guardian, pale as marble, you can't miss her."

Why is it called the City of Lamps?
"Val-ar-Aion exists on the edge of the Hewn City- the nights can get quite long here, and strange things tend to, ah... rise up from the ground. Shadows and the like. Mostly harmless, but it never hurts to be careful. Our people use Sacridite lanterns to banish the dark, as well as any creeping things that might lurk there. Sacridite is a holy substance, you see, and its light is sustained by faith: it will never go out so long as we keep to the Light."

What is the Clansguard?
"The protectors of Val-ar-Aion, sworn to defend the meek and keep the peace. It's a great honor to be named to the Clansguard. Barakiel, that pale pearlcatcher with the worried look, is the Captain, and Curaghan, my beautiful mate, is her second in command. They'll train you up to become a proper warrior, either so you can become Clansguard yourself, or go to join the Lightweaver as her honor guard."

What is a Lightkeeper?
"Our highest scholars. These are dragons with great knowledge and expertise in a particular subject, who pass on their knowledge to others. Teachers, in other words. Because Val-ar-Aion is a center for healing, many of the Lightkeepers here have knowledge of medicine. Aldiel is the one to speak to if you want to know more about our history- he's old enough that he's seen most of it happen.

What is an Emissary?
"Ambassadors and advisers, chosen to represent their Flight on the diplomatic counsel. Val-ar-Aion may be somewhat removed from the rest of the world, but we like to keep abreast of events in the other provinces and help where we can. An Emissary is usually someone of rank in their home province, who knows the politics of their country and can provide insight into their workings. For example, Valkour, our emissary to the Southern Icefield, is a Lord there, and Harthrenain, our emissary to the Viridian Isle, is- well, a bad example, I'm not entirely sure what she does, but we do have her to thank for all of the trees around here."

Who are the Valari?
"Citizens of Val-ar-Aion, born here in the summer country. Some say we're more long-lived than other dragons, but I doubt that. We do however seem rather uniformly predisposed golden wine. You can go see Eidenfrey if you'd like to try some, but pace yourself- it'll go to your head!"

Who are the Wyldren?
"Nobody you'd like to meet. They're wild dragons- they live outside the walls and despise city-dwellers. They are our enemies, though they haven't been organized since the Matriarch killed their king. Nowadays they stick to raiding farmland and harassing travelers along the Pilgrim's Road. They're led by a dragoness called Larcha- a very unpleasant Tundra with a taste for flesh. But don't worry, she's too scared of mother to come within a hundred miles of this city. Keep to the heartland and you should be fine."

What are the An'iel?
"You've probably already heard of them, actually. They're servants of the Lightweaver, or they were, back before they were all called back to the Beacon. Warriors and messengers, artists and architects. They helped build Val-ar-Aion, among other things. We call them the An'iel, but most folk just call them angels."

What is the Shadeslayer Order?
"A miserable lot. They call themselves enemies of the Shade, that old bogeyman, and hunt down supposed threats to eradicate. They're not authorized by my mother, but she's given them the old tower of Thornskeep to placate them for now. We can only hope that more of them don't turn up. Yhoram's a decent fellow, but that Orsanct is enough to give the Icewarden chills..."

Who are the Midsummer Knights?
"Princess Sonnehilde's very own mercenary troupe. My sister has always had a taste for battle, and since we aren't presently at war, she had the brilliant idea to go and fight other people's wars for them. Can't say that mother approved. You've never seen a bawdier band of cutthroats and drunkards. They don't get enough contracts to keep them out of trouble, so they do little more than drink and feast and fight amongst themselves. Sometimes, they even stage plays. If they sound like your sort of people, well, they're always looking for fresh talent."

You're a prince, right? Don't you have better things to do?
"Oh, saints- the council meeting! I'm sorry, I really must be going- but one more thing- don't stray from the Light!"

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