House of Audierne

The House of Valerian was the most influential family in Kanjor for over 500 continuous years, as well as at several other points in history. They trace their lineage back to the dictator Kamician, who ruled in the 1st century BCE. The family line eventually died out in early 2250s, though "long-lost heirs" continue to appear.

Beginnings
Exactly how the Valerian family started is not clear. Valerian records officially trace their beginnings to the dictator Kamician but are ambigious about the exact nature of the link, and as Kamician never married this is often considered a legend. The latest research has deduced that the link between the House of Valerian and Kamician is probably correct, though the truth has been altered. Records found detailing Kamician say he was particularly close to a concubine by the name of Valerie. It is entirely plausible that the illegitimate child(ren) of Valerie and Kamician founded the Valerian family.

The family began to develop links with other powerful families in Kanjor, and made shrewd business deals to enhance their standing. They started building an empire inside Kanjor, especially in the cities of Kanjo and Helion. Interestingly enough they survived both the Theocracy and the Holy Wars, probably because they supported both sides. It was here that the Valerian family truly tested their skills of management and diplomacy. Eventually, they dropped their support for the theocracy, and sided with the Council. In addition, they did not participate directly in the House of Lords which governed after the victory of the Council, but had considerable influence there through corruption and blackmail, at any one time having control over up to a third of the House directly, and often a clear majority.

Revolution of 1520 and the Second Empire
The uninvolvement of the Valerians in the House of Lords meant that they survived the Revolution of 1520 with little damage. It also allowed the family to gain control of the weakened state. In 1526, the Empire of Kanjor is declared with Alphonse I the first Emperor. Alphonse begins to expand the Empire's control into Demettion, Sovalt, and Tondola, with the help of his two brothers Charles and Leopold as his main generals. The incursions into independant Yewao are not successful, and the idea is abandoned. However, Sovalt and Tondola prove much more profitable, and Alphonse pursues the invasion vigorously. His life was cut short however, by a bout of Mordusian weeping disease, and he dies leaving the throne to his son Resirus I.

Resirus I proves to be an incompetent and ineffective Emperor, losing territory in Sovalt against the natives. He has a young son, Alphonse II, who will be next in line for the throne. Alphonse I's brothers and generals of the Kanjoran army are removed by Resirus and the army taken under the direct control of the Emperor himself. Charles and Leopold return to Kanjo infuriated, as Resirus travels to Sovalt to lead the army. Before he arrives, the army, without signficant leadership, is defeated by the Sovaltians and is demoralised and in disarray. Unperturbed, Resirus takes proper command of the army in April 1540. He leads his forces in the battle of Atyr Lagoon, suffering the largest defeat thus far, and being killed in the process.

When news of the defeat and the death of the Emperor reaches Kanjo, a power struggle erupts between Charles, Leopold, and the supporters of Resirus' five-year old son Alphonse II. Alphonse II is taken to Vagderra, to the mountain stronghold of Solion, and his supporters prepare their defences. Meanwhile, the army is recalled and split between supporters of Charles and those of Leopold. Civil war rages in Zanyal, with Charles capturing Kanjo, and Leopold holding Helion. After nearly 15 years of civil war, Alphonse II emerges with an army formed in Vagderra. He defeats Leopold, and a wounded and exhausted Leopold surrenders his army and Helion to Alphonse. Now with Vagderra, most of Yewao, and roughly half of Zanyal under his control, Alphonse marches against Charles. The two armies meet in the Battle of the Kanjora River in the summer of 1566, and Charles is killed. Alphonse II reclaims the throne of Kanjor, and begins to rebuild the nation. He also absorbs independent Yewao, and uses it as a base for limited conquests in Sovalt. He dies peacefully, leaving the throne to Alphonse III. Several other emperors came and went and occasionally factions fought for control, but it was not until the start of the 19th century that a notable Valerian leader came about. Amalia was the daughter and only child of Georges II, and began to plot with Georges' brother Resirus about the future of Kanjor. She also entertained several foriegn visitors, cementing Kanjor's relationship with Alduria and Rildanor. She would often lead men to believe that Georges was planning a marriage between them, and squeezed concessions from them in exchange for her (supposed) hand in marriage. All this was down without the knowledge of Georges, who was increasingly ill. Georges died in 1802, to be succeeded by Resirus II. Resirus, with the support of Amalia, brought a new era of decadence to the Imperial house, funded by Amalia's dealings with other nations. Amalia retired to Solion have a child out of wedlock, the result of some of her more personal seductions, and left Resirus to rule unguided. His style became ever more decadent and gratuitous, taxing highly and spending wildly. The economic situation of Kanjor was already grave, but the effect of Resirus without Amalia's guidance brought the country to its knees. To avert a revolution, Resirus appealed to Amalia for assistance, and she orchestrated the end of the Empire and the creation of the Second Kingdom. She also arranged for her young son to be the next King.

The Second Kingdom
Resirus becomes the King of the new constitutional monarchy, and loses much of his decadent style as Amalia returns from Vagderra. Resirus effectively hands control over to Amalia, who begins a period of economic recovery. Resirus collapses with a stroke in 1836, and Amalia becomes the regent while until her son, Valerian, is older enough to ascend the throne. Valerian I is crowned in 1838, at the age of 18. His good looks woo many of populace, and he can be considered Kanjor's first real celebrity. However, he has also inherited his mother's intelligence and cunning, and he leads Kanjor into a new golden age. He is wildly popular for the duration of his 60 year rule, and his funeral in 1898 was followed by ten days of mourning across the nation.

His two sons, Alphonse III, and Henri IV, were not so popular, but still kept the monarchy under a steady hand. Alphonse III did not manage such a steady hand when he accidentally shot himself on a hunting trip in Vagderra. He suffered such sever bleeding he was dead before his companions could bring him to a carriage. His younger brother Henri IV ascended the throne in 1912, and would rule until his own death at the age of 77 in 1931. From there, his son Georges II took the throne. Like his namesake however, he was plagued by disease, and became increasingly less coherent and erratic.

Retreat and Fall
See also: The Interregnum Georges II begins to interfere greatly in the Assembly, making irrational and unpopular vetoes and decrees. By the 1950s, popular dissent is the highest it has been in over a century, and the Assembly abolishes the monarchy. Georges II and his teenage son Valerian II flee to the stronghold of Solion. Valerian quickly takes over, and begins to prepare for a war of reconquest. He has strong support from the Vagderrans, and begins relations with neighbouring Rildanor, trading land along the Rildanor-Vagderra border for weapons and supplies.

Valerian's area of control is still called the Kingdom of Kanjor, and retains the flag of the old Kingdom and the House of Valerian.

War with the WFSR
Valerian realises the need for a port with good access to the Sovalt Channel, from which he will be able to prevent forces moving between the mainland and Tondola Isle. He selects Demettion as the obvious choice, with the conquest of Helion clearly too difficult at this time. Valerian decides to take all of Yewao, and then prepare for and assault on either Tondola Isle or Zanyal.

Throughout 1956, skirmishes between Valerian II's forces and troops from the Workers' and Farmers' Socialist Republic of Yewao (WFSR) occurred as WFSR militias pushed north out of Demettion, and Valerian's patrols moved south.

The first significant battle occurred at the start of 1957, where a Valerian cavalry squadron surprised a WFSR militia unit setting up trench fortifications around a small village.

The tide of the battle turned when the cavalry broke through on the left flank of the village, forcing the incomplete defences to be abandoned. The militia was quickly cut off, but refused to surrender, instead barricading the village, and preparing a last stand at the village's church. The militia held the walls of the village for several days, until the Valerians received reinforcements, and forced their way in just after dawn on the fifth day of fighting. By midday, the militia had been pushed back to the church in extraordinarily bloody fighting. The royalist commander offered the handful of defenders a last chance to surrender, which they refused. The royalists then proceeded to burn the church, and the remains of the village, with the defenders inside. However, they pulled back once news arrived that a new WFSR militia was moving to reinforce the village, and a storm prevented the trenches from being used.

When the WFSR reinforcements arrived, they found the smouldering ruins of the village, and the half-burnt church, with a crude WFSR flag still flying from the top, but the defenders dead from smoke asphyxiation. The flag was recovered, and the militia adopted it as their mascot. Their anger led them to attack the much larger Valerian forces massing to the north, with a fiery passion that quickly overwhelmed the superior numbers and arms of the Valerian force. This was the creation of Flag Unit, the WFSR's much famed (and feared) shock force.

Several more battles occurred over the course of 1957, but mostly ended in stalemate, or a reversal of the previous victory. By the start of 1958, the frontline had stabilised, and would remain largely unchanged until 1973, when a massive WFSR offensive pushed the line several hundred kilometres northwards. It too would remain stable until the Valerians launched the last major attack of the war in 2065, which returned the border to roughly the 1956 line. It formed the basis of the modern provincial border between Yewao and Vagderra.

The Valerian offensive of 2065 left the Valerians exhausted and in 2070 a ceasefire had been signed and all conflicting sides in the Interregnum were drawn to the Conference of Kanjo. Valerian IV, the King of Kanjor, was present, and resigned to the fact that a republic was inevitable. He chose to remain in Vagderra, and relinquish any political dealings in exchange for not being tried for treason having traded Kanjoran land to Rildanor.

The Valerian family still dominated Solion, and had some influence in Vagderra, but were largely forgotten in the following years.

The Third Empire and Decline
In the 2110s, however, a growing Imperial movement seeks to restore the Empire. The Kanjoran Imperial Party, tacitly backed by the ambitious young Alphonse VI, wins many seats in the 2115 election, and the Second Empire of Kanjor is formed, with Alphonse at its head. He did not marry, and when a car crash killed his younger brothers remaining members of the Valerian family, he realised that it had been foolish to rely on other family members to continue the family line. However, he was too old to father children, and the Valerian family died with him in 2142.

The Empire technically continues after a constitutional reform, but one that requires a member of the Valerian family. Since no member exists, the position is filled by regents until 2148, when the Empire is finally absolved.