Random Facts about the Udynea Empire & the Kingdom of Tirglas

by Aldrea Alien

Hi, I’m Aldrea! I write fantasy romance in a variety of heat levels both within and without the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. My newest release, To Target the Heart, is an m/m romance and part of the spellster series which is largely set in the Known World, consisted of a single giant continent and a few outlying islands.

The story itself involves a pair of princes from two very different realms. Darshan vris Mhanek comes from the great glutton of the Udynea Empire that commands a great deal of the central continent, whereas Prince Hamish of the Mathan Clan is from the rustic, and largely rural, Kingdom of Tirglas. And there are a few differences in their lands that present a bit of a bump for both princes, leading to them learning to comprehend each other and avoid instigating a war between their lands.

Tirglas

1. The royal family never leaves their clan lands. Not even when married as succession is handed down to the next eldest and then their children.
2. There is only the Goddess. She is considered responsible for growth, procreation and harvest.
3. Hunting down known ‘rutters’ (gay men) was abolished only half a century ago.
4. Elves are rarely seen with the majority of those who stay having roots as refugees from the Udynea Empire.
5. Marriage is considered legal for all manner of couples, but only binding if a child is born before the end of the second year.
6. Everything is bigger in Tirglas, from the average height of the population to the size of their animals. Including the local bears.
7. Those displaying magical talent are confined to cloisters kept far from the general populace. Their limited range of study means that a great deal of these spellsters are highly knowledgeable in the healing arts.

Udynea Empire

1. As a whole, sexuality is considered a non-issue. With class and anti-elven prejudice being far more typical.
2. Women are the last to inherit property or titles. Even if it’s an only daughter, all other direct male lines must be eliminated before anything can be passed to her.
3. Deities are multiple and often overlap in duties. A product of their centuries of colonisation, which typically ended with lopping off the ruling masses and integrating the common people. Those who are worshipped throughout the empire are the High Mother and Araasi, Queen of all deities.
4. Assassination attempts are commonplace, leading to the majority of the nobility being highly skilled in magical healing. Many choose to display their prowess by imbibing otherwise lethal doses of poison as party tricks.
5. Slavery has been legal for thousands of years and, since the arrival of elves on the continent, a large percentage of the slave population is comprised of them. There is a hiercharchy with certain slaves of the royal family having the power to execute nobility.
6. Spellster’s aren’t regulated and not only dominate the nobility, but the Udynea Empire holds the highest percentage of spellsters of all the realms. Magic is used freely and without fear of being prosecuted for being born with it.
7. Due to completely conquering several ancient civilisations—such as the already crumbling Domian Empire—in the distant past they’ve the largest source of ancient knowledge and technology. But not always the means to replicate their finds.

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