"Pierce, Tamora - Daughter of the Lioness 01 - Trickster's Choice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pierce Tamora)

fromThe Luarin Conquest:
New Rulers in the Copper Isles
by Michabur Durse of Queenscove,
published in 312H.E.
In the bloody decades before the year 174 of the Human Era, the Kyprish Isles
were locked in strife. Rival branches of the royal house traded the throne on a
number of occasions. In turn the crown had lost control over the warring houses
of theraka, or native, nobility. Scholars said of those years that only the
jungles prospered, for the trees and vines fed on the blood of the raka. During
this time the Isles exported more slaves than imported them: victors sold their
enemies into the Eastern and Southern Lands, only to enter slavery in their own
turn when they lost the next battle.
Queen Imiary VI of the house of Haiming made repeated attempts to negotiate
peace among the raka. Her efforts failed. She was overthrown after twelve years
of rule. Her successor and murderer, Queen Dilsubai, also a Haiming, favored
those nobles who supported her shaky claim to the throne, and imprisoned their
rivals. The glorious days of the copper-skinned warrior queens of the Isles were
over.
On the mainland, the pale-skinned easterners calledluarin by the Kyprish people
saw the disorder, and the wealth, of the Isles. Rittevon of Lenman, younger son
of a lesser noble house in Maren, found opportunity in the IslesТ disorder. He
raised funds and allies among the realms of Tusaine, Galla, Tortall, Maren,
Sarain, and TortallТs southern neighbor Barzun.*For an army he summoned younger
sons, adventurers, and mercenaries, all bought by the promise of the IslesТ
wealth. With them came battle mages trained in the arts of war at the university
in Carthak. Rittevon and his chief ally, Ludas Jimajen, son of a Tyran merchant
clan, placed their souls in pawn for the gold that bought the services of their
battle mages. They bought all the raka nobles they could in advance, promising
them status when Rittevon sat the throne.
The first assault came in stealth on April 5, 174H.E. The invaders struck not
the capital at Rajmuat, where rival Haiming cousins fought over the crown, but
the stronghold of the noble house Malubesai, on the southern island that bears
their name. This most powerful clan was taken completely by surprise. Their
homes were left in ruins, their warriors in mass graves, and their descendants
in chains, all at the hands of the luarin mages.
For the next seven years, luarin ships and armies ranged the islands from
Malubesang to Lombyn, from Imahyn to Tongkang. Lesser raka nobles and various
clans, seeing how the wind blew, offered their allegiance to the conquerors.
These became the lesser nobility of the Isles, allowed to retain lands, freedom,
and lives, but taxed into poverty after their strongholds were destroyed. For
the greatest raka nobles and the royal house of Haiming, the luarin offered only
slavery or death. On MidsummerТs Day 181H.E. , the first Rittevon king was
crowned as ruler of the newly renamed Copper Isles.
The domination of the raka people continued. The luarin noblesЧonce tailorТs
sons and blacksmiths, landless younger sons and mercenariesЧtook for their new
houses and fiefdoms the names of the land and the old noble houses. More luarin
arrived to settle and do business. Marriage among the raka was encouraged for
the luarin lower classes, producing a multitude of part-raka servants and
slaves. The luarin were there to stay.