The Lost World

General Description and History
Recent Developments
Powers Common to Chaosites & General Nature of the Inhabitants

General Description and History
The Courts of Chaos. The name conjures images of a land of petty kingdoms constantly squabbling for dominance. This image, however, is no longer true; Chaos has been for some time unified under an emperor who rules from the great citadel of Thelbane. A thousand Dukes pay tribute to the emperor; each Duke counts in his lineage one of the petty kings who relinquished his or her power to the Empire.

The history of Chaos stretches into the distant mists of time. The unification of Chaos came about a millenia after the founding of Amber by a rebel prophet-- a madman messiah, if you will. The first emperor of Chaos, Servit, was originally a powerful king on the Rim, who noticed a growing trend amongst his subjects to lean towards the religion of Order. Servit was a canny gentleman, a charismatic with a religious bent of his own. Feeling the Chaosian way of life was threatened by Order, he began a crusade against it, and by the end of his life time, was the acknowledged ruler of all of Chaos-- and it's savior. He had completely driven out the radical Orderists.

Seventeen rulers and three succession wars later, King Swayvill sat on an uneasy throne. His predecessor had diversified the emperor's powers amongst his dukes, and had become King in name only. (See The Eyrien War.) Swayvill struggled to take back the power that was his with the throne. To do this, he launched a vast military campaign against the only target with the riches and prestige that would make him a name-- the bastion of the Orderists, Amber.

Swayvill's effort was a solid one, but ultimately, Amber defeated the Courts, and Swayvill died of a wasting disease during the Orderists occupation of Chaos. The forces of Amber occupied Chaos for twenty years, until it became clear that Chaos would soon move into open rebellion to achieve independence again. Prince Benedict of Amber withdrew his troops and led them off into Shadow. No one in Chaos has heard from the Orderists since.

A certain Lord Wedig made himself indispensible to the Orderist regime, and oversaw the day-to-day running of the government under Benedict's watchful eye. He was deposed almost immediately after the withdrawal of the Orderist troops. The throne now rests with a Regent, Bances, originally a Priest of the Serpent. Bances is making a move to become the priest-king of Chaos. Various other claimants to the throne continue to make their cases to the Succession Council. The main contenders besides Bances are Duke Zamorna, Duke Rittoran and Duchess Glovern. The Council has met monthly for six years now, with no decision.