Imperial bloodlines

[Vilhelm Benkern]

Ryker has come up with an interesting idea which he has published on the ShireWiki. On the page about the blood of Kaisers, he has introduced a new distinction between "Elder" bloodlines and "Sanglorian" bloodlines. The former are the traditional Imperial lines descended from Raynor's children, Mira (Raynor line), Brrapa (Metzler line) and Mors (Mortis line) which we are all used to. The Sanglorian bloodlines, which he lists as Verion, Redquill and Drak, are those modern houses which have little discernable connection to the old lines.

Part of the old idea of a mythologised trinity of bloodlines was that anyone in Shireroth could claim to be descended from them, however tenuously or scandalously, as in the case of Aurangzeb. Until very recently, new Kaisers have been content to bring their families within one of the house lines, as Wythe did. But with the wave of Kaisers elected by the Landsraad, I think we are seeing a change in attitude to the bloodlines system.

What are people's thoughts on this new distinction that Ryker has come up with? In truth, I think more Kaisers than previously admitted would be 'Sanglorian'.

[Verion]

I think for one that it is inappropriate to publish a major change like this on the wiki without discussing it first.

[Nathaniel]

While I agree with Jack, I think Ryker's proposal offers some kind of continuity. But perhaps the non-Raynorian lines shouldn't be called imperial -- they are not derived from the blood of the imperial throne. I cannot come up with a better name though... but they would be imperial of course since they have been kaisers. Hmm...

[Vilhelm Benkern]

Indeed, I get the problem, Nathaniel. They are all "Imperial Bloodlines" in the sense that they are the blood that Kaisers have had. Perhaps "Ancient" and "Modern", "Raynorian" and... "Non-Raynorian" isn't great. I would suggest something like "Benacian" but of course some of the lines are Kildari or from elsewhere.

[Verion]

For the Verion line I just did what all my predecessors did: say that it is a minor branch of the Raynor family. I dont see why that would be any less valid than people doing exactly the same thong two or three years ago.

[Vilhelm Benkern]

It's not a question of validity - in canon terms, I believe Raynor isn't a real person, and if zie was, we've got a mythical version of zie in our history books. Kaisers acclaimed by the Landsraad are certainly entitled to sit on the Golden Mango Throne, I intended to open a discussion on whether this would have created a change in view of the bloodlines.

For my part, I would prefer that ALL Kaisers technically claim to be Raynorian through some bastard or maid. I was the one who penned the claim of the Line of Bellami all those years ago.

[Ryker]

I don't want to get too into anything here but here's my reasoning for taking the liberty to create an entirely new category of bloodline: They didn't belong in the old one. At least mine didn't because I never wanted it to. I just gave something that needed a name a... well, a name. As for my outrageous audacity to so much as touch a single hair on the sweet fragile wiki's head, dear Jack (hi), who else is going to do something interesting with it. I didn't hurt or mess up anything, just made something new that might get hurt or messed up. Toodles

[Vilhelm Benkern]

Thanks for having this idea and publishing it, Ryker - it's sparked an interesting thought and I've already started on a new work as a result of it.

[Ryker]

I haven't left you guys just yet. I'm just sleeping in (we immortals need our beauty sleep).

[Mira Octavius-Aryani]

I would not be surprised if some historians of particularly traditionalist bent would come later and try to claim that the newer bloodlines were, in fact, connected to the ancient bloodlines.

Perhaps, therefore, we should take on the role of the historians who come even after them and declare the old bloodlines "True" and the new ones "Spurious" (or Sanglorious... whatever that word means, what does that word mean!). We can even include some of the older spurious lines into the new category.

[Ryker]

Well I'm here on record saying that Ryker and Raynor are so far separated by blood and marriage that the two are just short of being different species. Any relation that future historians "find" I do hereby renounce in advance (are all my bases covered? ). I don't know how they would even find a tangible link considering that I just showed up with little to no memory of my pre-Shireroth past and (in an unreleased story I have somewhere around here) came from a place which no one knows existed and doesn't exist anymore anyways.

And Sanglorian is a word in Finnegan's Wake which I thought worked well for new glorious bloodlines.

[Nathaniel]

I promised a friend two years ago to read that damned book. I still haven't got past the first chapter. It's awful.

[Ryker]

Read in a drunken Irish accent in your head or aloud. Works like a charm.

[Nathaniel]

I've tried. It's still shit.

[Mira Octavius-Aryani]

Well I'm here on record saying that Ryker and Raynor are so far separated by blood and marriage that the two are just short of being different species. Any relation that future historians "find" I do hereby renounce in advance (are all my bases covered? ). I don't know how they would even find a tangible link considering that I just showed up with little to no memory of my pre-Shireroth past and (in an unreleased story I have somewhere around here) came from a place which no one knows existed and doesn't exist anymore anyways.

Don't dismiss the ingenuity of historians with an ideological bent so easily! Or else we wouldn't see stories about the King of the Britons deriving from long-lost Trojan stock.

[Ryker]

I use it as a reference book for fantasy words and terms. Y'know the term "Monomyth" came from that book?

And I think I'm safe enough.

[Verion]

Well, I already claim that the Verion line is Raynorian so if this idea is going to be something, the verions are not going to be part of it. I assume Ryker will change the wiki accordingly.

[Ryker]

Done

[Verion]

Thank you.

[Vilhelm Benkern]

I agree with Octy - the most authoritative text is the most recent. The historians of a later age will have their way with every Kaiser's reign. The only way to reclaim them is through art.