Ebonwing Potentate [Ebonwing presentation OLD]

Foreword:
Following years of strife and instability within the Nightwing Kingdom during a period of time known to the Potentate as the Black Interregnum under the corrupt sovereignty of Gemini, the Ebonwings came to being when Lord Tenebris an advisor to the Queen broke away from the Government in the anarchy claiming independence. Leading his followers and the refugees following the Nightflare Civil war out to sea in search of a new home in an event known as the Great Schism.

The youngest and perhaps the smallest Tribe upon Pyyria, the existence of this Tribe began as a splinter faction of the Nightwing Kingdom, although much mystery and secrecy surround the Isles of Aeterna Dominus the Potentate is certainly not weak, ruled by a powerful aristocracy known as the Apextorium. Today the Potentate remains uniquely different in both culture and customs compared to their Nightwing cousins.

The Black Interregnum
Following the Nightflare Crisis within the Nightwing heartland, the rebellion caused the Kingdom under Gemini  to suffer and fracture into factions politically out maneuvered and exploiting one another. Due to the corrupt administration and ever growing discontent of Gemini’s reign the Nightwings seemed on the verge of collapsing in upon themselves. Disillusioned by the state and the aftermath of the war one of these factions under the premise of peace and prosperity formed under Lord Tenebris, secluding themselves and pushing towards revitalising the nation to focus on culture and intellectual pursuits to bring back the vitality of the Nightwings, under Gemini’s reign the group grew ever distant from the rest of the Nightwings who sought other methods of appeasing their emotions.

Great Schism
In the end, forced to the extreme as the Nightwing society stagnated and festered like a defiled wound. The group of Nightwings which would form the Potentate openly declared independence from the Nightwing crown, although in pity and kinship they didn’t want to renew the pain and suffering what the Nightwings endured during the Civil war against Nightflare, and thus the new Ebonwing collective looked to migrate, leaving their forsaken land behind to start again.

In their grand migration the Ebonwings discovered the Isle of Aeterna Dominus, several islands secluded from the mainland of Pyyria to the west. A foreboding and eerie land which housed nothing but ruins and decay of a former civilization. Claiming the Isle as their home, the Ebonwings named themselves the Ebonwing Potentate, draughting up the means to establish their own Tribe.

The Isle
Not much is known about the formidable and mysterious Isle of Aeterna Dominus, the name itself was only given in recent years when the Ebonwings settled upon it. From what little remains there is evidence to suggest that due to its secluded location on the Southeastern coast of Pyyria it is clearly in a state most preferable as a strategic holding. This is consolidated through the presence of Human architecture and the former Ruins what litter the landscape of the Islands. With the Isle’s fortifications and Human ruins it can only be assumed that a Kingdom once stood before falling to the analogues of history.

Today the Isle is home to Ebonwing Potentate and its Archon Tenebris, although the Ebonwings were once considered part of the Nightwing tribe it differs exceedingly from modern NightWing culture and society.

With the Isle now under firm talons and its growing population ever expanding due to Refuges from the Nightwing tribe ever seeking sanctuary. With the Isles natural defence the Sea itself relentlessly attempts to consume its lands but to no avail.  The Potentates new settlements now stand as bastions, shielding their kin from the hardships and adversity against both the storms of the sea and the peril of the lands existence, with the Ebonwing Colony claiming the lands the ruins within Aeterna Dominus now has become a marvel Ebonwing superiority, revived and renewed through their intervention the architecture was redesigned from the primal Human works to be used as the foundations of a Draconic domain to represent the fundamental principles of the Ebonwing Potentate.


Magic
With the high appraisal of the unknown, the Dragons of the Potentate delved into their own forms of magic experimentation under the supervision and encouragement of their Archon. The Ebonwings of the Isle follow ancient traditions of magic, carrying the weight of magic energies almost as in high regard and reverence to the Gods themselves. As fierce as their Drive to become greater, magic is taught among the Ebonwings to seldom be bent on use of mundane tasks. It is an art of the highest calibre, as the FireWings use their martial techniques and the EarthWings use their overbearing size and strength, The Ebonwings use their cunning. As such the belief is to seek academic and intellectual supremacy over the mainland Tribes is ever present in all parts of their society.

Those who belong to the Ebonwings are notorious for their secretive and eccentric ways given the Isle’s distance from the prosaic lifestyle of those within the mainland, which makes the professions of Magic and Alchemy attractive. Located on the Island of Shadows refuge is an athenaeum which houses a repository for numerous ancient scrolls and artifacts, as well as the grand archive which had a detailed recording of all notable events of the world. Another Keep upon the Islands makes itself home to an Apothecary lab which is the pinnacle of academic desires. If one is to visit the Isle the very air would feel eclectic and vibrant with energy as if it had a life of its own, giving a feeling of increased energetic flow to one's person the whole process is an added security, the exact number of spells and wards woven into the very air are unknown and can be considered a well placed manner of precautions.

Religion
Faith is a personal matter for all begins on Pyyria, and this is no different to those within the Potentate, however due to their increased isolationism they have developed an issue in which certain divine deities take prominence over others. The Island is firmly dedicated to Astral as she is considered the most important to both themselves and their culture, although never officially announced it is assumed that the Ebonwing Dragons follow their own pantheon despite the other Gods undeniable existence. Due to their avaricious nature they revere Astral above all others, although there is a considerable amount of faith also placed on Nimbus. Within the various Keeps there is always located a sanctuary to both of these Gods and in acknowledgement to others around the Isle there is a shrine to Phantom who again is merely acknowledge and Arkhor. Arkhor is often considered a lowly God, however a one the Ebonwings still respect due to his connection with the Seas, this is a bizarre situation as Arkhor is the only divine being who is acknowledged that doesn’t have any significant association with the NightWing Tribe who the Ebonwings once were.

Art
Unlike anything even within the Nightwing lands of the Mainland, the Ebonwing Potentate highlights the magnificent possibilities of Dragon architecture. Although usually Dragons are practical and meticulous about their crafts, the Ebonwings pride themselves on both a coupling of functionality and beauty. Their works stand out as testimony to their pride, statues and great works of art litter the Islands for artistic beauty. Drapes woven with the utmost care illustrate the passion and true lofty stature of those what make their home within the Potentate. Adorning the Draconic architecture is often Silver as a symbol of purity and dominance out of wealth, which is also the major trade and natural resource of the Island. In the name of usability and beauty exists their craving desire for jewellery, inherited by their Archon Tenebris and the Apextorium.


Those within the Potentate pride themselves with their crafters constantly perfecting and engaging in their art. Each of them takes care and time with their work. A finished work is an expression of the nature and capabilities of its maker. Very few completed items in the world in reference to Jewellery are seldom as ornate as the ones one would find or purchase from the Ebonwing Potentate. Each of the items made have a distinctive flare which most within Pyyria would be able to trace back to the Isle, bold colours and precious Silver are the backbone of all their works. Almost all within the Potentate usually adorn themselves with baubles of all sorts, as a tendency to hoard precious items. Each usually has a taste of the adornments they find themselves in, although, because of this many Ebonwings are prone to  garish overindulgence.

Leisure
Improving abilities and competition take precedence in leisure activities for the Ebonwings. When the inhabitants of the Isle aren’t honing their skills in Magic or other academic pursuits, they’re playing a game or engaging in an activity to prove their mental, physical, or spiritual conditioning. When it comes to fields of expertise Potentate enables that everyone isn’t restricted in their activities to familiar skills. Part of developing oneself is expanding one’s horizons. Due to Tenebris’s ideology of competitive games to prove who is greater than another to test their wit and cunning, almost twice a month challenges are maintained within the grand hall of his Palace upon Shadow’s Refuge against competitors in strategic games, the contests that have one clear winner are favoured. One would find why within the Isle throughout the Islands strategic board games, philosophic riddle contests, improvised storytelling events, and one-on-one sports are often associated in a grand affair. Every Season a festival is always maintained to put on a show of feats on the Isle, ranging from academic to aerobatic along with a celebratory feast.

Society
Ebonwing society is notoriously decadent, yet also takes great pride in their history regarding their founding and their culture. The Potentate treasures the past knowledge's of old and preserves it, as indicated that everything they've built, sound or claimed has been carefully preserved and renovated. Ambition and magical ability are the hallmarks of its ruling elite, the Apextorium.

Social Classes:
Apextorium; Seen as the founders of the Potentate, this class serves as the aristocracy of the Ebonwing potentate directly under the Archon himself. Those within this class find themselves revered with high esteem throughout the Potentate and are seen as delegates of the Archons will as they serve within his court and administer the islands of the Potentate in his name. Each of the Apextorium hold titles of Lordships and govern the state’s affairs.
Medarti; Common citizens of the Potentate who are allowed to own property and serve in the military, but they have no real power in the Tribe's governance and are unable to attain a title unless elevated to the Apextorium, often they are found to be merchants trading or crafting the goods what support the Potentates economy. Before a Medartri can mate they must first seek the blessing of a member of the Apextorium to ensure the match is satisfactory.
Thallarti; The lowest class within the Ebonwing Society, this position is reserved for Reptilitans and captured sentient races such as Humans, essentially slaves the Thallarti serve their masters in manual tasks. Often finding and harvesting the raw materials found throughout the Isle to be used by crafters.

Governance
The Ebonwing Potentate is still governed by its founder, who wields the title of Archon. Ruling the Potentate through a form of Magocracy as the highest authority is a practitioner of magic. The Aristocracy what make up the Apextorium can be broken into two ranks, the Dukes who rule the Duchies in the form of the main three Islands outside of Shadows refuge and the Lords who rule over the small minor Estates of the smaller Islands that dot the Isle.

The legislative body of the Potentate is known as the Senate. The Senate is divided into two houses: the Magisterium and the Publicanium. The Magisterium is the upper house and is responsible for making laws and choosing a new Archon if there is no approved heir. Members of the Magisterium are known are the Apextorium and thus serve as the Archons direct court, the head of the Magisterium and second constitutionally to the Archon is the Majordomo Loque. The Publicanium is the lower house, and in contrast with the Magisterium it holds no true power and is considered a bureaucratic body. Senators of the Publicanium are elected officials from the Medarti.

Military
The actually standing Military of the Potentate is rather small compared to the other Tribes of the world due to the minor population. Known as the Eclipse Guard, these warriors train to serve the Potentate and undergo both physical and mental conditioning to prepare them for their task. Usually in the entourage of the Apextorium the Eclipse Guard is trained beyond most other military factions in the world, focusing essentially on combat engineering. It is the duty of the Guard to combat the “sedition” of the Thallarti as there is ever a need to suppress the slave rebellions what occur frequently. In times of open warfare the Thallarti are usually drawn into serving as militia and auxiliary units.

Relations with the Mainland
The international relationship with the mainland Tribes of Pyyria is a one taken delicately. Priding themselves on their isolation, the Potentate usually only comes to the mainland in search of political allies and trade for their exports and imports. Usually scouring the continent in search for magical artefacts, secrets and ingredients the Ebonwings are ever adding to their vast archive what remains the envy of any educational mind.