What does it mean to live in the County of Simulutunum? To answer that, you must understand two things: Simulutunum means “together as one” and a brief account of Simulutunum’s history.

Simulutunum is a County inside the Coast of Aritaur in the Kingdom of Vornair, but, as a county, Simulutunum is relatively new. The County was formed in 698. Before that, Simulutunum was a Pact formed by neighboring land owners within the Northeastern, Coastal portion of the Conclave. These neighboring landowners had a rocky history with one another, but great threats in the world brought them together, and cooperation and loyalty cemented their trusting relationships for years to come.

Simulutunum was the brainchild of the Magnus family, but the history of the lands that comprise Simulutunum and the families within are deeply rooted in Elyria. The family has remained meek in the grand scheme of recorded Elyrian history, but the family has been pervasive. Their story starts long before the Elyria we know, in a land far from these. Their existence in these lands was, providence.

The Magnus family’s establishment in the lands of Elyria may be luck, but their reason for finding this home was not simply chance. Almost nine centuries ago the Magnus family became a prominent name within their ancestral homeland. The family had aligned itself with a just cause and allied itself with noble families. Together, those allies restored the glory of their Nation and rose to positions of power. The Magnus family and the Empire enjoyed many years of prosperity, but it was doomed.

Prosperity and growth led to intrigue and duplicity. The Magnus family tried, and failed, to curtail the civilizations crumbling morals and restore the honor the noble families had. In response to growing pressures and threats form powerful families, the Magnus family prepared, in secret, and fled the Empire in 393.

In the year 479, the Magnus family made landfall in Elyria close to a Hrothi settlement, then called Greenmist but now New Kaeldohnia. The Magnus family met with the settlement members and began a close relationship that would be fostered to this day. The people of Greenmist identified lands to the South that would be good for settlement, but there were many large families around and they would need to be careful not to claim already claimed land.

They found a home and started to expand. This expansion cause friction between families, but didn’t result in much until the Plague fell upon Elyria. Its origins were mysterious but affected everyone equally except the Magnus family. The oldest son, whom was envious of their neighbor’s land, used the plague to his advantage in 485 and razed the family so the Magnus’s could take control. His father, Odysseus, nearly killed him with the beating he received, but the deed was done and the Magnus family took control of the land and started the settlement that is used today.

525 was a big year. This year saw the founding of the city of Aquitania, the Arena of Aquitania, and the formation of the Simulutunum Pact. The Magnus’s used the “dead” language from their ancestral home for the name. The official name of the Pact was Simul Ut Unum, loosely meaning Together as One.

Over the next few hundred years, Simulutunum developed relationships with many families, but most notably, the family that would Lead the Coast of the Conclave and Aritaur family, the future leaders of the Conclave of Aritaur. During this time, the Magnus family played a small role in defeating the Deranged King which would lead to the formation of Vornair and its Duchies.

Soon after the Duchies were formed in 698, the members of the Simulutunum Pact called for a gathering. At that meeting, the members of the Pact expressed their desire to have the Magnus family represent them as a County. On that day the Pact was no more, the County was born, and Maximus Magnus became the Count of Simulutunum.

20 years after the War of Many Banners ended, Duke Rothesay targeted the Duchess of Aritaur to discredit her family and take power. The Magnus family offered her asylum until Rothesay was defeated. Simulutunum has been peaceful and prosperous since.

What does it mean to live in Simulutunum? Living in Simulutunum means many things. It means you believe in cooperation but are not afraid to fight. It means, despite all our pasts or our dark histories, we can work, we can be strong, and we can prosper TOGETHER AS ONE.