Kingdom Proper; An Abridged History

The great war chief Treven spent most of his reign uniting the Two Lands under one banner in a long and bloody campaign referred to today as the Great Unity. Treven was a brilliant leader, charismatic and ruthlessly strategic. When his troops saw him, resplendent in his black crimson armour, every last man would place the cutting edge of his blade against his own throat, a symbol of his readiness to dispatch himself at his leader’s command. They were near fanatic in their devotion. It was exactly this fanatic devotion bent under the will of a cunning leader that paved the way for Treven’s spectacular final victory. And Kingdom Proper was created.
After a few short years of peace, Treven mysteriously died (rumours of suicide were whispered in dark taverns). His armour, the symbol of kingship, passed on to the foremost of his three surviving lieutenants, Brin. Under Brin’s capable leadership, Kingdom Proper thrived for a decade, despite numerous assassination attempts. The final attempt was a brazen public attack that ended with both killers dead at the feet of the aged King Brin. Now, rumours of the armour’s mythical powers swirled.
When Brin finally died, two men were in position to take the armour: McCabe, a a seasoned warrior and troop commander, and Praxis, the king’s scholar and holy man.

McCabe desperately longed for the kingship and sough support at all levels of government. Praxis did not seek the throne as ardently as did his old colleague, but as a trusted advisor of both Treven and Brin, his names was whispered widely as the best choice for the throne.
McCabe, realizing this, sought possession of Treven’s armour in a bid to force his own victory. Urged on by his supporters, Praxis also began to scheme for the kingly armour, if only to keep the ruthless and bullheaded McCabe from acquiring the talisman.
The conquest escalated, finally exploding into a one sided battle. Praxis’ smaller force was completely overwhelmed. However, Praxis managed to escape – with the armour. With a small group of loyal soldiers, Praxis took the armour west, where they evaded McCabe’s patrols. The armour was hidden reverently.
As time went on, McCabe realized that Praxis was not likely to come forth and declare his victory, so he moved into the power vacuum. He immediately began an intense and covert hunt for both Praxis and the armour. As the years went by, neither turned up and the ancient armour began to fade to legend.

Armour: acquired by Treven years before the Great Unity. Took on a mystical tone almost immediately. Black with crimson finish, the armour never scratched or dented. Numerous accounts of the wearer miraculously and inexplicably escaping injury abounded; none surpass Brin’s surprising escape from assassination, though.