Stone Bay
The Kingdom of Stone Bay is the nation that governs all of Kara. It was founded long ago by its semi-mythical first king, Jephdaphro, who led the earliest Baymen to war against the Drenorans. Stone Bay's victory secured its place as the hegemon of Kara, a title they hold to this day.
Currently, King Ulysses Mountbatten rules over Stone Bay.
The First King, Jephdaphro I
The people of Stone Bay were originally nomadic. Under King Jephdaphro, they valued conquest by the sea. Early Baymen travelled in fleets to conquer small city-states for their sprawling, seabound empire. Jephdaphro's reign saw Stone Bay declare war against the Drenorans for their crimes against nature. The Drenorans attempted to reach beyond mortal means by contacting the dragon Valynclex, tapping into the magic of Realitas, and accidentally creating the Curse.
These actions formed the basis of Stone Bay's casus belli against the Drenorans. During this time, the Drenorans forged many artifacts to defeat Stone Bay's forces. The Azure Blade, in particular, was one of several weapons built to slay the wizard Arimaex. The combined effort of Stone Bay's armies, fleets, and magical powers resulted in Jephdaphro leading the Bay to victory against the Drenorans. With their last-ditch attempts at godhood failing, the Drenorans faded into history, defeated and destroyed by Stone Bay. King Jephdaphro used this victory as an opportunity to settle his people. The age of sea conquest was over. Stone Bay built its Prismarine Citadel on Orlan, one of Kara's islands, and established their rule over the archipelago.
King Jephdaphro disappeared hundreds of years ago on an expedition outside of Kara. He brought with him the famed Prismarine Sword and Shield. He left Ulysses Mountbatten to rule in his stead as Regent and Lord Mayor of Stone Bay. Hundreds of years later, Jephdaphro never returned to Stone Bay. Thus, the kingdom entered its regency era.
The Regency Era, Ulysses Mountbatten
In the years following Jephdaphro's disappearance, power consolidated around Lord Mayor Ulysses. The 901st year of Jephdaphro's reign saw great change in Stone Bay. The kingdom opened its ports to the rest of Olvunter. As a result, immigration to Kara skyrocketed, with over a thousand people coming and going to the islands. Hundreds of wanderers settled in Kara, adopting Baymen traditions or synthesising them with their foreign cultures. The Kingdom of Stone Bay became a melting pot of cultures, resulting in the formation of institutions like the Church of the Deep and the Duchy of Stendahl.
This year also saw Arimaex's betrayal of Stone Bay. The former Court Mage revealed himself as a lich, and was consorting with the dark dragon Valynclex for power and control. Conflict erupted between Arimaex and Kara as a whole. The Battle of the Eternum Glades concluded this conflict, resulting in seventeen dead Karans, the neutralisation of Valynclex, and the death of Arimaex.
Arimaex's defeat did not spell the end of conflict during the regency era. Dragone Collins, a Nieseatian diplomat, was assassinated on Karan soil. This brought the ire of Macadier Maldore, archmage and Archon of Nieseat, who levied threats and intimidations towards Stone Bay. Ulysses defused the political tension by signing a non-aggression pact with Archon Macadier. For ten years, there was peace in Stone Bay.
Peace was broken in the year 911. During the January 7th Parliament, Macadier Maldore interrupted the session by teleporting Ulysses Mountbatten, Lord Marshal Arthur Justice, and Lord Chancellor Blue Mountbatten to the Ahdredan. Leaderless, Stone Bay was occupied by the Nieseatian leadership.
Occupation by Nieseat
Nieseat's occupation of Stone Bay lasted for one month. During this time, Macadier Maldore labelled it the "Colony of Orlan", and installed the then-Nieseatian loyalist Elmes Fin as its governor. Without its key leaders, what was left of Stone Bay's government was folded into Nieseat's three powers: the Ordenza, the Halcyon Guild, and the Old Blood. Only the Church of the Deep, led by Synarch Fafnir Deepcreek, provided hidden sanctuary to Baymen loyalists.
To counteract Nieseatian influence, powerful Baymen like Benjamin Lascelles and Rowan Umber willingly entered Nieseatian institutions. Inside these organisations, they purposefully caused delays and mishaps to buy time for the Mountbatten's and the Justice to return from the Ahdredan. Their plans resulted in the deaths of key Nieseatian officials, Folkmod Erendellen and Drace Latimeer, crippling Nieseat's governing capacity significantly until their revolution began. The rebellion occurred after a series of events led to the theft of the Lunar Crown. This artifact ended up in the hands of the Church of the Deep, who crowned Sillas Deepcreek as the second king of Stone Bay.
The Second King, Sillas Deepcreek
TBD