The King's Blessing
For as long as Dalreme has stood, it has had a royal family. And so long as the Royal Family of Keon has held the throne, it has been guided and marked by the King's Blessing. A brand that rests somewhere on both the ruling king, and the future heir. The method of transferment of this mark is unknown to anyone; some say it is Arcane, some say it is divine, some say it is mere smoke-and-mirrors trickery with a tattooist in a hidden room.
History, however, has said otherwise.
The Grand Mark is different--While the Family blessing is invisible, the Grandmark takes a solid, black form that is visible to all. No one is sure what causes the Mark to appear--according to family tradition, God himself causes it to appear when the time is right. Less religious citizens have attempted to find their own explanation over the centuries, to little success.
There seems, at first, to be little rhyme or reason as to which heir is selected. While some generations have an obvious choice, in others a 'weaker' child will develop the grand mark over a more popular or stronger sibling. While many a coup has been attempted over the chosen heir, the wielder of the mark always wins out. In a couple notable occasions, none of the King's children are chosen as heir, instead being a cousin from a related line that can trace itself back to Keon the first. The process is unknown, but the King has rarely stumbled in their duty, and Dalreme has never known defeat.
There have been attempts in history to discredit an unliked heir with a fake one, with a forged mark. However, the forged mark will cause significant pain to the forger, burning the skin until the entire surface around the mark is black. For some, it has even caused the loss of a limb, or death.
Only time and the 'Grand' Mark would tell.
History, however, has said otherwise.
The Mark of the King
The King's blessing is a blessing of two stages. The first is a mark that is placed on all members of the family, marking them as a member of house Dalreme. Traditionally given at the age of five, the Family Blessing indicates a member of the royal family. This mark is invisible, save under very special conditions. Specialized lenses can see the mark, but they are hard to come by--the honor system is used. The benefit of the blessing is that it allows for adopted members of the family to be fully recognized as royal.The Grand Mark is different--While the Family blessing is invisible, the Grandmark takes a solid, black form that is visible to all. No one is sure what causes the Mark to appear--according to family tradition, God himself causes it to appear when the time is right. Less religious citizens have attempted to find their own explanation over the centuries, to little success.
There seems, at first, to be little rhyme or reason as to which heir is selected. While some generations have an obvious choice, in others a 'weaker' child will develop the grand mark over a more popular or stronger sibling. While many a coup has been attempted over the chosen heir, the wielder of the mark always wins out. In a couple notable occasions, none of the King's children are chosen as heir, instead being a cousin from a related line that can trace itself back to Keon the first. The process is unknown, but the King has rarely stumbled in their duty, and Dalreme has never known defeat.
There have been attempts in history to discredit an unliked heir with a fake one, with a forged mark. However, the forged mark will cause significant pain to the forger, burning the skin until the entire surface around the mark is black. For some, it has even caused the loss of a limb, or death.
A Divided Kingdom
Dalreme faced its greatest challenged when it was pitted against itself. On The Night of Falling Crowns, King Ruben and Queen Lazuli Dalreme died in a fire in Dalreme castle. Two members of the royal court emerged from the flames, each claiming to have the true heir to the throne. While it was well known that Queen Lazuli had just given birth, the likelyhood of twins are dismissed--until surviving members of the family on both sides confirmed that the child closest to them had the family mark. Then war erupted. The animosity of a Court no longer held down by a fair king tore the kingdom in two. Even when Ruben and Lazuli settled into a cold war, each claimed that they had the 'true' heir to the throne.Only time and the 'Grand' Mark would tell.
Really cool concept. I love how if you try to forge the mark it has physical consequences.