The Monarchs

The Monarchs
Type	Organization
Associations	Book of Briars, The Council of the 18 Gates

The Monarchs, also known as Monarchs Mountain, are a group of magimystical individuals who were wiped out by The Silver. They followed the Path of Wool to discover magiq.

Description

The general history of the Monarchs was discussed by Sullivan Green in his entry "The Incomplete Mundane History of Neithernor." The Silver were borne of the court of Anne of Brittany who had a secret court guild of artists. When she passed away, her body, entrails, and heart were wrapped in the silk, metallic thread, and wool of the eighth Unicorn Tapestry. Anne's body was wrapped in a shroud made from the silk thread of the tapestry. Her entrails were buried in a bed of the tapestry's wool, and a gold reliquary was forged for her heart, which rested inside, protected by a veil of silver. The tapestry materials rested with Anne until sometime in the late 17th century, when they were stolen by a cult of collectors who were amassing enchanted works of art.

After Anne of Britanny's death, the court guild split into two different groups, each searching for illumination and beauty and magiq in their own ways. Hundreds of years ago they set two trails of clues, hidden but built to be found by anybody with a strong enough desire to find them as a sort of recruitment tool. These two paths were the roads of silver and the roads of wool. The people who followed these roads were known as the Silver and the Monarchs.

After the split, the Monarchs discovered a small but verdant place connected to the mundane world through secret entrances, but wholly hidden from most. The Monarchs found written histories of the guilds, learned magiq beyond the mundane world’s rudimentary charms, explored the strange island-like world, discovering doors to and from places all over the mundane world. They created their entire society around Neithernor and the relics and old histories they found. At some point they created the original path of wool so that others like them could find it and explore and learn and cast. Many Monarchs lived normal lives in the mundane, then secreted away to rule and explore their hidden kingdom.

The path of silver also discovered tale of Neithernor and became desperate to share in its wealth. The Monarchs allowed them entry. The Silver chose a remote place to call home, and kept to themselves, as was the agreement. There was peace for an untold time. But then something unknown happened that pitted the Monarchs against the Silver. It escalated into “The War of Neithernor.” Many were lost but the Monarchs drove the Silver out of the land and barred all entrance back. The Silver scrounged for power in the mundane world, trying to use everything they had to get back in. But they had been exiled.

Years later, The Council sent The Book of Briars to Monarch’s Mountain and the Silver scrambled to take it from them. They had grown strong in their own secret place in the mundane, using what they learned from Neithernor and gathering artifacts and objects from the old time. They had also created The Storm. Once they realized the book was not for them, they sent the Storm, and attempted to wipe away any memory the Monarchs had of Neithernor. Aside from the Silver, and a few whispers and stories, Neithernor was believed forgotten again. The paths fell into ruin.

Although the Silver believed that they had wiped out the Monarchs, in truth, that was only what the Monarchs wanted them to believe. Their priority besides saving the world was convincing The Silver that they don’t exist. That they were finally wiped out. To aid in this, the Monarchs were responsible for cultivating and protecting The Low. They created disconnected factions who could confuse The Silver and send them to dead ends.

History

Monarch's Mountain as a concept first appeared in the blog post "Why We Are Called The Mountaineers." According to Endri, the name The Mountaineers originates from a hand-written occult pamphlet. The pamphlet was an account of someone who had been admitted into a secret society called Monarch’s Mountain, that was dedicated to the collection and preservation of rare objects and pieces of literature. Like the first Mounties and the Lost Collection. Over the years, monarch butterflies, which were a major symbol in the Monarch Mountain pamphlet, became a totem-like symbol for the Mountaineers.

In Phase Four, Deirdre Green learned more about the Monarchs from Sullivan's journal entry about Neithernor. He believed that they were wiped out from the Silver, their memory erased. However, in "Mr. Wideawake," Deirdre met The Collector of the modern Monarch's Mountain, Mr. Wideawake. He told her that they had been hiding from the Silver, creating disconnected factions to distract them from the truth, and only appearing when it was truly necessary to help in the battle against the Silver. Mr. Wideawake subtly warned Deirdre that the Monarchs were coming for The Little Red House, as they wished to protect and study it. He disagreed, but it wasn't his choice on what they did. Deirdre encountered the Monarchs in "The Shadow," finding several of them in the Vault, where they attempted to unlock the Little Red House with the help of Deirdre's blog post. She was able to distract them and take the book, sacrificing it to the Storm on the Day of Change.

During Fragment Sixteen, Endri told recruits that, while they were defeating the Storm, Ascender and Knatz were staging a coup in Monarch's Mountain. They used the opportunity to lead a mutiny against the more conservative forces of the old houses. And they won. Because of the mutiny, Monarch's Mountain was in shambles, but Ascender and Knatz wished to rebuild it. There were countless books, scrolls, and coded histories they need help sorting through, so Ascender asked if Endri would be able to lead the charge in organizing the information. Endri agreed, telling recruits that she would still only ever be an @ away.