Author note:
In order to make new locations and characters more familiar for you, I decided to include links to the maps I made myself with the use of Inkarnate. Fantasy online map creator!
Even on the free version, it offers all the tools needed to create a visible, readable map. Even if, such as with me, the skills of the creator are subpar.
Since fanfiction on FFN is not commercial on the writing side (As in: Me, Burger Tower.), I think I have the right to use these maps with accreditation.
So once again, I credit Inkarnate and suggest you to visit their page:
Inkarnate main page: https/url?sa=t =web =j =89978449 / =2ahUKEwjg797Rn6SJAxXJFhAIHQo9G6gQFnoECAoQAQ =AOvVaw1Kh7iT2AQVxQmQs1wThpmE
Inkarnate FAQ: . _ylt=AwrkOc4UNxln3wEAJPb0X4pQ;_ylu=Y29sbwNpcjIEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1730915349/RO=10/RU=https% /RK=2/RS=5_naYQKSmQaNd0WenRG1htYEua0-
PS. If the link to the main page doesn't work, you can navigate there from the FAQ page.
Update: I corrected some link overlap later in this chapter.
"You look tired." Eula whispered, seeing sweating Sans walk up to her bed.
"Consequence of hard work." Sans sighed. "How are you doing? With all the things happening around you?"
"... Powerless." She responded with strong grief, looking aside at her half-black, half icy blue vision. "As soon as I was taken out of action, all things just happen to fall apart."
"We were taken by surprise. All of us." Sans nodded, while giving a counterpoint at the same time. "But giving up isn't an option. Is it?"
"I would never forgive myself for it." Eula looked back at him.
"... Right, it's hard to take vengeance on yourself."
"... Huh."
"Realized something?" Sans asked.
"Been a while since I said this word." Eula explained. "Almost as if… Some-Something changed with me."
"Heh, can't argue with that." Sans closed his eyes for a moment before making a sincere grin. "Still, whatever you are and however you go. I still like you."
"Hmph. Thanks." Eula smirked lightly. "Want to talk with Jean?"
"Not sure if she wants to." Sans shaked his head lightly. "Especially with how things go under her absence."
"Fair point." Eula nodded, before directing her eyes twice towards the further part of the room. "She is placed in the next room from here."
"Still, I shouldn't talk with her now. Maybe later down the line." Sans shrugged his arms as he turned around. "Still, wish you a good day."
"Likewise."
"Ike?"
"Oh, Noelle." Iramati historian-archiver smiled, as the two sat down in a KoF mess hall while the last of knights were leaving it after a meal. "Here to learn about Zirte?"
"Not a Kingdom of Zirte?" She asked, sitting by his left side.
"Tsk-tsk. Last actual King died twenty seven years ago." Ike corrected her, placing a rather thick, short and wide book on the table before her. "Ever earlier on, the title of King was more figural. And for the last decade, it is at best contested."
"Oh." Noelle nodded, taking in all the information. "And this book is…"
"Around four hundred years worth of Zirte history, by my word, knowledge and research." Ike said with distinct pride. "It is only a copy though that I finished recently. Original will be given to Favonius by the time that the Sun sets down."
"Thank you." Noelle took the book and opened it at the first page. "... You don't want to go?"
"I am here to answer any questions." Ike explained. "After all, you wanted specifically to learn, not read.
Map of Revenland and Aegpan: /m/ggnREX
"That's the world map?" Noelle asked, seeing the first page."
"Revenland is the upper segment with Zirte and Slajland." Ike explained. "Folatinat and Florianu were also a part of Zirte at its peak, but nowadays are defragmented between squabbling lords and independent Kingdom respectively."
"... Something more I need to know about the book?" Noelle asked again.
"The year when young Matthias left Zirte and went towards Inazuma was ten years ago, which by our Aegpan calendar system would be the year one thousand two hundred and thirty-eight." Ike added. "By such, the current year is one thousand two hundred and forty-eight."
"Mh, right…"
Zirte is a mass of proud principalities, duchies, baronies, counties and even lesser lands. All of such being proud not by their people, but by people ruling over them. Zirte nobility is a result of centuries where cultures and populations mixed themselves together at large, which resulted in a highly complex, but individually anemic, society from bottom to top. Thus, Power of King in Zirte is almost universally weak to the point that most, if not all, edicts and laws one would manage to pass by his own greatness, are doomed to be revoked by a moment the dies. If they haven't been ignored by the moment. And here, is a story of how this Kingdom in name came to be. From first unifiers up to current separation.
Gallery of rulers:
Tsepihon Dynasty:
Cyanid (589-616)
Polo the Warrior (616-631)
Cyanid II the Great (631-673)
"You can skip the dynastic lines for most part." Ike said, breaking Noelle from focused reading. "Skip a page or two until you find Proteinsky Dynasty. Same with tales of the land."
"... Protein?" Noelle asked cluelessly.
"The more nobility families are out there the harder it is for them to find an original name." Ike shrugged his arms, after which she went back to lecture.
Proteinsky Dynasty:
Marepa (1162-1189)
Matthias the All-Pious (1189-1202)
Olthoro the Fat (1202-1204)
Gargamel the Hammer on Slajland (1204-1210)
Isayach II the Lewd (1210-1221)
Louis XII (1221-1229)
Matthias II the Insane (1229-1238)
Proteinsky Dyansty - Folatinat Branch:
Harold III Yellow Tooth (1222-1225)
Harold IV the Red (1225-1229)
Othar VII (1229-1234)
Harold V the Adopter (1234-1238)
Ladislav the Deviant (1238-1239)
Proteinsky Dynasty - Meskoian Branch:
Mesko II the Old (1222-1238)
Herman the Expelled (1238-1239,1240,1242-1244)
Aewhul (1239-1240)
Jonathan the Shanker (1244-_)
Proteinsky Dyansty - Rotharian Branch:
Rothar II (1225-1235)
Francois (1235-1239)
Dorman the Scourge of Poor (1239-_)
Proteinsky Dyansty - Conradian Branch:
Conard the Accursed (1233-1236)
Bezprym the Beowolf (1236-1240)
Vladislav VI (1240-_)
Proteinsky Dynasty - Matthiasian Branch:
Matthias III the Bold (1234-1235)
Vasyl IV the Clergy Slayer (1235-1237)
Eugenius X the Insane (1237-1238)
Jeremiah the Agile (1238-1244)
Marepa the Kinslayer (1244-1246)
Carol II (1246-1248)
"Five branched dynasties that divided the land." Ike commented, seeing Noelle slow her reading to a standstill. "But don't worry, it gets way worse when local nobles are included onto the regional map."
"Sounds believable." Noelle nodded, taking the next page and seeing the closer map of land.
Map of Zirte and Folatinat: /m/Eq2pA3
Warning! - Upon opening, the map appears as a large deep green space with nothing on it. To see the actual map if the same is the case to you, tap/click on it to enter full screen mode with it. Then the actual map will appear.
List of independent rulers and their lands inside old Kingdom of Zirte, beginning of year 1248:
Teodor III - Kingdom of Zirte, Prince of Tfalin and Ledsen.
With vassals:
Messer - Duke of Tarpan
Nimrod III - Duke of Jankt and Astden
Francois Jirefian - Count of Jiref
Francois Jivarian - Count of Jivar
Spencer the Conqueror - Kingdom of Florianu, Prince of Clis, Gorkh, Vantefus, Ernauy, Toornstra and many lands beyond Zirte to north and west.
Janko II - Kingdom of Folatinat, Prince of Upper Hayeux and Nenice
With vassals:
Dariush the Rad - Duke of Liftopol
Pergiel the Mash-Faced - Count of Opplen
Stach the Snow Scare - Kingdom of Vinternacht, Principality of Longdoville
Jonathan the Shanker - Principality of Fole.
With vassals:
Zbigniew - Count of Soplic
Damian the Drunkard - Count of Mietekpol
Dorman the Scourge of Poor - Principality of Dormanstat-Ansfach.
With vassals:
Sabina - Countess of Neghreze
Vladislav VI - Principality of Polegro..
With vassals:
Norman the Axe - Count of Jatman
Carol II - Principality of Qvaledybung.
Kiejstut the Hiker- Principality of Frostpole.
Gonathan - Principality of Teregezod
Fedor the Slothful - Principality of Lesser Hayeux
Sigmund the Fraud - Principality of Kolon
Taylor II - Principality of Gentow
Valerian the Snowpeople KIller- Principality of Xeres
Eugenius the Spinklehands - Principality of Poes
Boedesius - Principality of Shakirakh
Romuald the Brute - Principality of Unthlicht
David the Smile Denier - Principality of Heth-Matth
Gascon - County of Guasson
Helmunt the Lame - County of Seabend
Yannick the Usurper - County of Stirmat
Harry V - County of Hystan
Romuald the Bald - County of Uphalla
Esteban the Yes-Man - County of Pruden
Ignacio the Sticklegs - County of Redlipsburg
Jack - County of Tomont
Jasmine - Countess of Ron-Ner
Other lands unaccounted for are under rule from beyond Zirte and written further in other books of my creation.
Vatu is accounted for despite being razed without trace in 1246 by Sigmund, for reasons he was given the nickname "The Fraud" afterwards.
"What a mess." Noelle commented. "Every second major settlement is like a separate country on its own."
"That's what feudal fragmentation does to a country." Ike shaked his head in personal disapproval. "Too many heirs to the throne, too many strong nobles, too many strong neighbors… Reasons enough to be shattered like porcelain after falling down."
"Shows how we must stay united in the face of adversity." Noelle concluded. "Mind if I borrow it?"
"But make sure to return it to Lisa for the library later." Ike nodded lightly with a smirk.
"Will do, thank you Ike!"
"No problem."
"How is Klee?" Albedo asked, being basically bedridden with bandages across his body.
"Happy." Vstanko responded, sitting by his side. "Vanko and the others have her covered."
"Heh, that's good." Albedo smirked. "Also, news from our… private detective?"
"She found the link." Vstanko nodded, taking out the small piece of paper before unfolding it dozens of times into a large, poster-sized piece of paper. "You can translate nobility speech?"
"Yeah, I manage." Albedo nodded, raising his left arm and having the message handed to him for a read. "Still, I need you to get someone and find Barbara."
"Why so?" Vstanko asked.
"With her being the main healer for us, she is a big target." Albedo explained. "And since I still work the implied link of Seamus Pegg supposed child abuse on the side. Our enemies may know about another wide open way towards her weaker side…"
"Kaeya was smart enough to know this." Vstanko smirked. "You heard about someone called Rosaria?"
"Ahhh… Certainly." Albedo nodded. "Vision holders like her are certainly a level above most bandits. She and Barbara can surely handle things as long as they are close together."
"We will be watching things from the side though." Vstanko responded, slowly heading backwards away from him. "Take care, Captain."
"You too."
"Father. If you would have saw this, you would weep." Diluc thought, casually pulling his sword out of a lying Abyss mage' upper chest in front of his winery. "Knights of Favonius finally started to crack at minimal external pressure, I can't even trust them to keep my porch safe. But I am the unsupportive one? Please! They can't even support themselves, let alone people they are supposed to protect!"
"King Diluc?"
"Makes me wish I could be one-!" Taken aback while daydreaming, red-hair turned around, facing up a muscular-looking person with rectangular glasses and black military-cut hair, as well as two men in full plate armor by the sides. "It's Mister Diluc to you, Good Sires."
"Some people in the city wish it wasn't." Man in the middle responded. "Say, Mister. What if I told you that… Calling you King Diluc should be a norm?"
"... Tempting me with power, are you?" Diluc tilted his head to the side.
"Not power, I know you have it already." Spokesperson responded with a poker face. "Change."
"Change of?..."
"Change of this land for the better." Man explained further. "Why should the taxes from your wine sales be wasted on Knights of Favonius? On Varka's continental tourism, Kaeyas' assassinations or Lisas' slacking off?"
"Fair point." Diluc nodded. "But I'm not convinced."
"Don't you want to take control into your own hands? Make this place better, safer, than it is right now?" Man in the middle said, dropping the calm as he saw the unconvinced face on the other side. "Is a Mondstadt, where a wanted criminal and two expelled Lawrence Clan members casually stroll right under your hood and suggest you to overthrow the government without consequences, a Mondstadt you wanted? Your Father wanted?!"
"Ngh!" Diluc took a step back, as things suddenly started to click in his head.
"I met Kaeya in combat twice now. I have an entry to hell known as having to put up with him as even a loose family member." Kuze responded, turning ninety degrees to the left. "But know this, Mister. We both know things will only get worse from here. Whether or not you stand idle and watch your fatherland be burned by itself or you grab the water and start to put down said fire… That's all on you." He ended the turn to the exit as both escorting Lawrence Clan members went ahead. "But your Father is watching Diluc. Don't make him have condescending words for you in the afterlife."
"..." Diluc stared silently as the weird trio walked away from his possession. In a way, they were right. Mondstadt was clearly in a deep crisis and the Knights of Favonius didn't turn things around,as expected by him. But on the other side of this bargaining coin was high treason. Because for as much as he was right in despising the Knights, rebellion was not an option. Neither was conspiracy. He had actual standards, that's what differentiate him from Kaeya after all.
There was one option left.
An ultimate option.
Something that just always works out, no matter what.
Right away he went inside the building, got to the desk inside his room and started to write the last resort that, ironically, was being grabbed first.
"Dear Traveler…"