The history of the Marlovan royal families is obscure, as they did not, until they conquered the Iascans, have written records. They adopted the Iascan alphabet at the same time they adopted their castles and land-holding attitudes.

The songs name the three families--Montrei-Hauc, Montredavan-An, Montrei-Vayir--as the first rulers. The Dei family's private archives records a very early marriage with the Forest Leader (Davan-An) family of Halia, which the Montredavan-An family insists is their ancestral roots, before the Venn outcasts who fled south and became Marlovans intermarried with them. Thus their black and gold originates with Adamas Dei (which is also the claim later made by Matthias Lirendi, son of Lasva Dei the Beautiful: he did not wear Lirendi blue when he rode west making his empire, but Adamas Dei's black and gold).

At any rate, by the time the montre was adopted by the leading families, the Deis had crossed the Montredavan-Ans at least a few times, and the Montrei-Vayirs once, proof being the punning combination of monter or leader and Dei into Montrei which was very much the sort of game the Deis would play.

There is no evidence that any of the Deis married with the Montrei-Haucs, who may have amended their names in an act of parity with the rising (and competitive) Montrei-Vayirs and Montredavan-Ans.

In what might have been a last, desperate act to unite a splintering polity Bederian Feldeh - Iascan name - Montre-Hauc first led war against the Iascans, to get their steel, in the 3560s. Skirmish and piecemeal warfare, with some private treaties (the Algara-Vayirs marrying the Tenthan family's only child, a daughter, and inheriting the principality, thus are enjoined to defend it, in 3572) until Savarend Montrei-Davan-An--charismatic son of Yvandred Montrei-Davan-An and Elenda Dei--married his single daughter and took over as his heir, consolidating the kingdom in a deliberate move 3675-82; that year, he married the Cassadas princess, which officially was accepted as a melding of the two kingdoms.

3693 Anderle Montrei-Vayir born. His family still wears gold, they are called Adaluin—prince—but their territory is nominal, that is, over the Marlovan plains, symbolic. His best friend is the Cassad son—they have shortened their name so it sounds better in Marlovan.

3700 Savarend Montrei-Davan-An born.

3718 Anderle Montrei-Vayir orders his brother Tlennen to assassinate the old king. He does it while the old man is sleeping in his royal castle in Darchelde. His wife and best friend both plead for the son, who is related to the Cassads, and so the treaty is made: the Montrei-Davan-An family will not be touched as long as they accept exile onto their own land for ten generations. They can leave the kingdom; if a brother is born, he must leave the kingdom. Their daughters cannot marry other families, but the heirs can still marry Marlovan girls—that was a compromise won by the women.

At New Year's the shift to new royal city complete, new oaths: clan leaders confirmed as Jarls, many of them taking Vayir as a second name as gesture of consolidation. (Montrei-Vayir clan allies, such as Tlennens and Sindan-Ans, do not.)

There is a move toward being civilized, and away from their Venn roots: they no long use the Venn war horns, they call themselves 'Marlovan', a twist on the old outcast meaning, with the emphasis in the middle: 'MARO-lo-VENN' becomes 'Mar-LOh-van'

The academy is established under Tlennen-Sierandael, the title becoming official, and Anderle calls himself Sieraec—peace king, instead of the old Harvaldar. Iascan is officially adopted as the court language, and he declares that every other generation, a princess from an ally will marry the royal heir.

3720 Anderle's son Evred born—first Montrei-Davan-An king born in royal city; betrothed to Tlennen daughter.

3725 Anderle's second son Hastred born; he will be second Sierandael

3768 Anderle dies, Evred becomes king.

3771 Old Savarend has a son by magic, causing nothing but mirth in royal city. Also called Savarend: a private resolve in that family that all the sons will be named Savarend until the exile treaty is over.

3778 King Evred's son Aldren born; negotiations begin for a marriage with Idayagan king, falls through, marries a princess from Jayava, whose family becomes Jaya-Vayir under Marlovan protection

3781 King Evred's second son Anderle born

3794 Aldren becomes new king

3802 Hastred Montrei-Vayir born; betrothed to Sindan-An daughter Tdanar

3803 Brother to Hastred, Evred, born

3830 Savarend Montrei-Davan-An (Fox's father) born; his older sister, relieved of the responsibility of staying to birth an heir, runs away with her teen-aged beloved, who is slated to marry a hated cousin. They go to Sartor.

3835 Hastred arranges father's death during a skirmish. Sends his uncle to Parayid Harbor to protect against pirates; he cannot leave under pain of death.

3851 Tlennen Montrei-Vayir born; negotiations begun for marriage with Adranis

3858 Anderle Montrei-Vayir born

3863 Tdiran Montrei-Vayir born—destined for marriage to the Adranis (marries into the Yvana-Vayir family instead; dies 3910, riding accident)

3874 Evred-Sierandael dies in a northern skirmish

3877 Hastred-Sieraec dies in a suspicious riding accident near coast, Tlennen becomes king

3879 Pirate attack on Tenthen castle, Joret-Iofre and Indevan Algara-Vayir killed

3880 King Tlennen marries Wisthia Shagal (Tdiran was to marry her brother, but it fell through)

3887 Aldren Montrei-Vayir born (destined for Algara-Vayir daughter); Tanrid Algara-Vayir born

3890 Hadand Algara-Vayir born

3892 Evred Montrei-Vayir born; Tdor Marth-Davan born

3894 Indevan Algara-Vayir born

3911 Tlennen, brother, son assassinated; Evred becomes king

3914 Battle at Andahi Pass between Marlovans and Venn; afterward Venn retreat northward to settle problems at home with shift in king.

3915 Saverend ("Fox") Montredavan-An confronts the mysterious Ramis at Ghost Island--and achieves the Long View.

3919 Hasta Montrei-vayir born; 3820 Jarend Algara-vayir born, also Rialden Marlo-vayir—Captain Han Tlen is the first female King's Runner—she's also in on the magic secret. She opens the door to female runners.

3920 Tanrid Montrei-Vayir born, betrothed to Nightingale's daughter. Inda actually clears strait

3921 New Year's Week, last battle against Venn at Geranda. Marlovans sign treaty promising strait sovereignty.

3963 the Year of the Great Frost; Hadand, Fareas-Iofre, Inda, Buck Marlo-Vayir among those who do not survive that winter. Evred Montrei-Vayir is the first Marlovan king to abdicate in favor of his son Hastred, and he leaves to travel the world with Taumad Dei. Over the next couple years Fox Montredavan-An finished his book, leaves his jarlate to his son, and goes off permanently in KNIFE (renamed the TREASON)—and vanishes into time.

3955 Joret's son Macael arrives for a tour; he and Tdan Montredavan-An fall in love.

3968 Tdor goes to Darchelde, friends with Tdan.

3981 Jarend Algara-Vayir born (dies 4001)//Tlennen Sieraec marries Hesar, daughter second branch of Olavayirs.

3982 Tlennen has son Evred (Hastred had no sons by horrible wife)

3991 Tlennen takes over as king when Hasta dies.

New boundaries to jarlates, awards Senelac a jarlate—which starts the feud with Marlovayirs, as it’s their land that is cut into. It doesn’t help that the Senelacs are terrible at anything but fighting, causing the common people to complain bitterly, while the Senelacs and the Ms are having fun with the feud.

3995 Tlennen closes academy for a year, infuriating son Evred, after his favorites caused duels and threatened clan warfare.

3977 6th Montredavan-An son, Savarend, born by magic to Indevan and Hadand. This Savarend is a also runner, dies in 4025 during Olavayir ructions. His twin, SHENDAN will get magic training and rule as jarlan (see below)

3998 academy closed again for a year. Right before Convocation, Tlennen has a stroke and dies a few days later, Evred rules very badly for six months before scragged.

Hesar changes royal name to Olavayir and, as agreed by the family when Dannor Tya-Vayir married into the family, brought that line’s two sons to be princes, which lays groundwork for a permanent division in the Olavayir family. Academy shut down for 20 years.

4000-8 Aldren Olavayir rules, popular, easy going, but grants too many concessions to jarls to keep the peace—they now have huge armies if they can afford them. Younger brother Tanrid contrives Aldren’s death.

4008-28 Tanrid rules, very tough, starts academy again, under his own design. Sends band to kill Savarend, and exiles Shendan, but grants that she’s regent in exile for her son Camerend, who will be 7th M-A, when it looks like Algaravair, and all the south will secede if he tries to take Darchelde. He can’t fight the south—the Noths, Jevairs, and Algaravayirs are far too strong, and in that twenty years of no academy, carried on with Gand’s teaching.

Perforce the M-A family is kept on as runners as they handle renewal magics, and carry official notices. Tanrid accepts them as royal runners as they cannot rule, cannot marry among jarl families anymore—but he wants them trained under his eye, not at Darchelde. That includes Camerend, who will eventually be Jarl. Royal Runners are trained in old Harskialdna chamber, on third floor, down to old nursery with four windows. He has no idea that they have transfer magic, and return to Darchelde as needed.

4026 Indevan Algaravayir born, but goes to study in Sartor and never returns. His dad is last to rule.

4028 Haldren, son of Tanrid, takes over in Autumn at Tanrid death

4029 spring, Haldren scragged by Jasid, grandson of first branch, of Hesar’s brother, the Jarl. Feels they should be royal branch, starting a deadly feud among the Olavayirs.

4030 Sister to Indevan, Linden-Fareas born: she will hold Algaravayirs until absorbed into Totha.

4033 Jasid dies in a skirmish while fighting the Yvanavayirs over jarls' rights; His son Janirle takes throne, jarls accept him as long as he does nothing against Yvanavayirs.

4037 Janirle assassinated in a failed coup by Olavayir second branch. Son Garid takes throne—married to daughter of first branch, promises them a launch over the mountains into Anaeran so they can deal with occasional raiders, but it never happens.

4040 Garid dies under mysterious circs, replaced by small son Evred, with brother Kendred regent, lazy and lets Jarls do what they want--Convocation is a big party.

4059-60 New Year’s Week of Four Kings Evred takes over by having Kendred assassinated. Evred assassinated. Replaced by cousin Jarend, Jarl of Olavayir—Jarend is big and strong and not very bright, used to being ruled by younger brother Anred, and abdicates in his favor. Jarend goes back to be Jarl of Olavayir, and takes old Hesar with him.

Anred wife Danet, daughter of, the Farendavans.

After the north coast secedes (following Hard Ride Arvandais's massacre), Perideth (Feravayir) talks secession.

Other Jarls are already ruling with growing armies.

Savarend-Senrid, 8th M-A for treaty purposes, born by now. This is when the name Senrid comes into the M-A family. He will eventually be runner captain.

4061, 3 two daughters born to Linden-Fareas, last of the Algaravahyirs.

Danet begins an aggressive betrothal program, requiring census to be taken each year. Arrow, resultant to Idayagan battle begins academy again, with the second sons requirement to build his army.

This begins the Time of Daughters, in which many boys are raised as girls.

Anred uses the Fox banner over the academy/army. Olavayirs now crimson and gold eagle, and Jarend's branch adopts the flying dolphin.

After Anred dies, his adopted son Connar claims the throne and begins a nightmare rule, including threatening to run the army south. When his commanders threaten to mutiny, he uses the remainders of a secret army to assassinate all the Noths and their commanders in one day of surgical strikes.

When the word gets around, Senelac and Marlovayir bury the hatchet after Senelaecs nearly wiped out.

4093 Night of the Knives, Connar killed and his brother becomes king.

4094 Noddy as king concludes the Treaty of the Rivers, Totha, Perideth, officially separate now, as well as Telyer Heyas, ruled by the Jevayirs, cousins to Cassad. Perideth will completely reject all. Fath made a jarlate.

4095 9th son, Savarend, born to Montredavan-Ans; again, runner captain, Isa in 4096, and Noren in 4098. Noren had wanderlust, and ended up sailing the coastal patrol out of Lindeth. Isa was a scholar, taking over magic studies as a royal runner under her brother Savarend, then taking over the royal runners when he became jarl.

4128 10th son Kethadrend born, and treaty is considered done by family. He wears Inda's shirt at his marriage, signifying the melding of the two families as well as the claim to kingship. His first son killed at age one in a mysterious "accident" on order of a king--their second son Ivandred, born '32, is raised in secret.

4185 Ivandred inherits Hesea by a marriage treaty to his son. Has a late daughter, Ndaren raised as mage, holds Darchelde and Hesea against the wilderness of tiny principalities that Marlovan Iasca has become; the jarls basically are petty kings, if they can hold their homes; warfare is constant.

"Crossing the river" becomes a saying like "crossing the Rubicon"—usually leads to war. Academy has dwindled to the sons of kings and favorites--and is again closed.

4207 Ivandred is killed defending his land, when he and his son (another Ivandred) begin the process of reuniting the land.

4216 Senrid born to Ivandred's son; while Ivandred is constantly in the saddle, Ndaren raises her son and Senrid on old academy teachings; she is leader of Runners, and holder of every single communication, which is duplicated. Runners now trained at the academy, and are boys and girls--more often girls, boys being tapped for war leaders, though Jarlans are raised to be war leaders.

4246 Senrid continues the process of recovering splintered kingdom, by harking back to old Marlovan days. Now the Jarls and Jarlans are governors and military leaders, and once again Convocation is restored, and the games.

Academy restored, along the lines set down by his ancestor Savarend (Fox) Montredavan-An in his memoir. This is when the memoir is essentially separated: the training and academy portion is kept apart, as a secret training manual. The rest of the memoir is recopied with an eye to restoring Marlovan glory, as the kingdom is considerably diminished.

Senrid comes to the conclusion that women have far too much power, and yet he loves his mother; he is the one who legally ends the betrothal custom forever, which makes a whole lot of young people happy—you pick at age 25, basically. The older women are appalled because there go their chances to control things through their own alliances, but they have to admit it had ceased to work generations ago.

He has to fight off Matthias's drive west—only one who finally stops him, and that, in turn, consolidates his power; Alored Elsarion, considering him a cousin, helps him, and in return gains Enaeran, separating off from the Adrani half of that area.

4277 Senrid calls himself king.

Senrid begins process of separation of language, as a necessary part of national identity. His heralds isolate Marlovan—now Marloven—from Iascan roots—called Dolos Frengyol by Marlovens afterward, to avoid the implication that Marlovan had nearly been subsumed into Iascan.

4285 As Jarls and Jarlans swear in, the language shift--new pronunciation--is taken back by them to their land, and to hear it once is to understand it, a little like the Universal language spell developed by the Sartorans.

The royal family name is now Montredaun-An. Kingdom of Marloven Hesea. 'Vayir' becomes 'vair' or 'var'. Tlennens forced into own province, as subordinates, and out of Marloven Hess; Fox Banner goes back to M-A family, the Eagle banner becomes that of the kingdom. Royal city now Choreid Dhelerei—Telyer Hesea belongs to the Cassads in the south. Cassads are princes now—that was treaty of recombination in the south.

When another female conspiracy causes a successful assassination, women are forbidden to carry weapons unless they've gone through the academy.

4288 Tdanerend born.

4307 Tdanerend becomes king, on death of father. He's 19.

4330 He has a son, Haldren, who kills his father in 4364. Haldren's academy now has become secret, the idea being that the king not only be the strongest, but forges a band dedicated to the kingdom. Haldren oversees the training himself. It's the most ruthless and cruelest it's ever been, but academy-trained fighters are unbeatable, and unswervingly loyal to the king, who rewards them well for their loyalty. They recover some of their old lands, as no one can stand against them.

4378 Ivandred born—Haldren causes his old friend, Sigradir (mage) Andaun to seek dark magic to achieve his goals of protection, and then life extension. The loyalty in the training is to the king's heir . . . in his person. The symbolism for kingdom doubles as loyalty to Ivandred himself, especially as he is extremely adept, smart, and loyal. Haldren is alternately proud and terrified at his son's success. Those loyal to Ivandred are afraid he will be killed.

4408 Ivandred gets throne; vision to reunite Marlovens to old borders; first to use dark magic, taught him by the Herskalt. It's efficient to use it for war--saves lives in the end, Ivandred is taught. Ivandred marries Lasthavais Lirendi of Colend. Who has no influence—at first.

(Earlier, Ivandred rides east to escort his sister Therais to Remalna, to marry the Calahanras heir; their aunt came from Enaeran, and enabled the meeting. He then rode north to Colend to try for the beautiful princess he heard of there.)

Son Kendred born in 08; Lasva hopes it will settle him, but it sets Ivandred off to conquer a kingdom worthy for his son to inherit. Uses arrows.

(During this period the cavalry are wearing the hair of conquered and killed officers on their helms; as Ivandred carries war farther, the notion of wearing hair short so the Marlovens cannot use it as trophy spreads all over the subcontinent, and thus the idea of short hair for the military takes hold. (Some time after Ivandred, it is also adopted by the Marlovens--a rejection of Ivandred actually, but they, in reorganizing the academy, yet again harken back to old custom, the shearing of the lambs, binding the cadets as insiders. The short military cut persists until the Norsundrian war in '59.)

4418, Kingdom is in serious trouble--Ivandred has caught the eye of Detlev of Norsunder. Ends with Ivandred's infamous ride into Norsunder, after he kills six earls who (it is later said) did not agree to expansion plan, but this is rewritten history. He carries the family's Fox Banner, which is no longer raised in the land. The Code of War is reinforced by allies who banded against the Marlovens.

Marloven Hesea quiet under Ivandred's wife, Lasva of Colend, and her favorite; girls are going to be allowed back into the academy. Their regency ends, and Ivandred's son Kendred takes over; Lasva retires to what will be called Vasande, in honor of her new spouse. Their son marries a Tlennen, who inherits that entire area, beginning the Tlennen-Hess family. They have a daughter who later marries the crown prince of Lorgi Idego—she adopts that family name, which is a royal name. Lasva and Vasya then have twin boys who know they won't inherit anything, so they adopt their sister's name and go adventuring south. . .they end up establishing themselves as wine traders in Sartor, spying for their cousin (Vasya's older son) in Colend. They begin the Rensselaeus family—the idegans later change that to Rensselar.

The brothers' descendants switch allegiance to Sartor and its environs, one of them getting his own princedom. Their maintain their enormous correspondence, and become sellers of information.

Kendred's daughter is Sharend, who is raised between academy and Vasande and her grandmother's enlightened ways (she is even sent to Colend to meet her cousin) ; the son, Senrid, grows up under specter of Ivandred; without Lasva's protective influence the Herskalt's influence remains.

4488 Sharend Montredaun-An destroys Brotherhood of Blood's second incarnation. She becomes queen when Senrid captured by Chwahir and presumed dead. She marries Vasande Tlennen-Hess of Crestel. When brother reappears, they won't fight, though brother has been changed, and for the worse; The two part for ever, rather than fight; Tlennen changes its name to Vasande Leror, and declares itself a kingdom; Senrid permits it, but that is his last benign act.

Marlovens now turn to dark magic, and stay that way; too many threats perceived not to--it's after one of their forays out that all the neighboring kingdoms ally and force the Code of War at least to their borders. There is relative peace outside of Marloven Hess, except when Detlev of Norsunder is trying various experiments with kingdoms, causing the struggle for possession of the dyra. This occurs roughly between the years 4625-35, then history on the southern continent subsides into an uneasy peace, with mostly internal strife: much of this resulting from the summary release of hastily hired or scraped together armies hired to fight Detlev if he tried an incursion. When it became apparent that Norsunder was not making a general foray, hirelings thus dismissed tended to become mercenaries, paid caravan guards--or marauders.

Marloven Hess's academy undergoes more change, including being discontinued after the Code of War is forced on the kingdom--along with a new polity, Ene Rual, which is formed ostensibly to unite the western harbors under one flag, but actually to deny Marloven Hess coastal access without stiff tolls and fines.

The academy is begun again in secret--and for a while, those raised there mostly watch one another. The balance of power between jarls and king and between the jarls themselves remains uneasy but even. Gradually the kings regain the ascendancy as the neighboring kingdoms cease their watchfulness. It takes Kethadrend Montredaun-An, son of Senrid, who was a very grim and determined man whose determination to win at any cost over the fractious and ambition Olavairs ended in a battle that shocked both sides enough to cause the border to be drawn, and thereafter assiduously guarded from both sides. His son Kethadrend (Senrid Indevan’s grandfather) was smart, fast, charismatic, to bind the academy boys and girls to himself, with great talk of regaining their former glory. Since there have been pirate problems in Ene Rual, and various minor troubles elsewhere, to the Marlovens it seems that a military government could restore order, especially northwards, where marauders, hiding in the mountains, seem impossible to root out.

4690s Kethadrend Montredaun-An makes forays against his neighbors. It's only when his son Kendred, who shows signs of brilliant ability but unstable temperament, begins rallying the young Marlovens around him that Kethadrend turns his attention home again. There follows a period of much marching around and threats and counter-threats, with occasional skirmishes here and there, as no one is quite willing to embark into all-out civil war. Kendred is finally ordered home to submit to direct supervision from his father: the result is his spectacular ride for freedom over the border, chased by assassins.

4700 Indevan Montredaun-An is born, his brother Tdanerend two years later. His upbringing is carefully supervised by his father, who is delighted with the boy: the old man becomes less crusty and more human, and for a time the kingdom seems about to enter a relatively peaceful period.

This especially seems possible to achieve when the eighteen-year-old prince Indevan, accompanied by his brother, makes a tour--a first--through the southern kingdoms, where he falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the descendants of the Cassads, Lesra Harmarath. She was the middle daughter, not the heir: grave, kind, artistic. Not to be left out, Tdanerend professed to be in love with her younger sister Caras, who was both frivolous and silly, and bent on marrying a prince--any prince. As it happened, the southern kingdoms had plenty of princesses and a dearth of eligible princes (which is why there were royal families with three and even four offspring, in an effort to get a son) so Caras accepted Tdanerend's suit, though everyone could see that it was no more than lip-service, followed by a stream of expensive gifts meant to impress not her, but the court.

Marriage with Lesra brought a treaty of mutual trade, as well as relatives in Toth and Perideth, as the kingdoms had intermarried much over the years. She returned in great celebrations to Marloven Hess--which had no court--and promptly began bringing art and taste to the military kingdom. At New Year's Convocation, she gave parties that people exclaimed over when they returned to their jarlates.

4720-5 Senrid Indevan Montredaun-An was born, and two years later, Tdanerend and Caras married, immediately producing--a daughter, named Ndand. Tdanerend made jokes about all those girls in the south, girls in the academy (Kethadrend's two female cousins had been his staunchest light cavalry commanders), girls taking over the kingdom with all their art and music. His jokes seemed to be meant to be funny, but weren't; no one knew that Tdanerend foresaw the diminishment of Marloven Hess, through the benign influence of these southerners, into a weak kingdom of poetry spouters and wastrels. They did not see trouble even when Caras apparently choked on wine and died, as she was known to be a little too fond of drink and pastry. She certainly wasn't fond of her husband, though she liked being the princess of a vast kingdom; not being all that popular, not too much fuss was made over her death.

But when, shortly after, Lesra was found strangled, and two months later the king died with a knife in his back, and the Marlovens who had agreed with Tdanerend moved in to secure the kingdom and prevent the foreigners to stop rotting them from within, the people finally understood that Tdanerend, now Regent, was determined to preserve the Marloven way of life at any cost.

Senrid had just turned five.