The Dark Kingdom is a secret Night World kingdom established in the mountains near Washington State. It was founded by Chervil Redfern, son of Hunter Redfern, and his companions. It was ruled by Chervil's descendants until finally coming to an end with the emancipation of its slaves and toppling of its rulers in the 20th Century. It is the primary setting of Black Dawn.
History[]
Chervil Redfern, a lamia and a member of the Redfern Family, after an argument with his father, disowned him and fled with his friends. With them, he formed the Dark Kingdom and ruled over it as king, with his friends as nobles. The Kingdom was built in the Cascades in the mid-to-late 1400's. The Kingdom is concealed from the outside world using fog and spells. Around the same time the Kingdom was founded, it's most notable landmark, Black Dawn Castle, was also constructed. Upon Chervil's death, his son Tormentil ascended the throne. His son, Prince Delos, was born with the ability to use blue fire and later identified as one of the Wild Powers prophesied to save the world from the end times. After Tormentil died, Hunter managed to find the Dark Kingdom and established himself as de facto ruler, in order to manipulate his great-grandson Delos and prevent Circle Daybreak from defeating the Night World. Whilst the majority of the population were vampires and human slaves, it would seem there were other Night People also living in the Dark Kingdom, including witches.
Society[]
The Dark Kingdom resembled a European medieval society, even in the 20th century. It's inhabitants used medieval technologies and wore medieval-style clothing. The Dark Kingdom was a patriarchal monarchy, ruled by a vampire king and a set of nobles (most of whom were the friends of Chervil Redfern or their descendants). The ruling classes relied on the services of human slaves, who were the lowest members of the society and lived in terrible conditions. The monarchy was hereditary, with the title being passed to the first-born son should the king die. The Dark Kingdom follows Night World rules and customs, with the exception of the rule about humans not knowing about the Night World, as all humans living in the Dark Kingdom were brought there as slaves.
Notable Members[]
- Chervil Redfern (founder and first king)
- Tormentil Redfern (second king)
- Phaedra Oryx (wife of Tormentil, queen)
- Delos Redfern (crown prince)
- Sylvia Weald (noblewoman)
- Bern (slaver)
- Gavin (slaver)
- Laundress (slave and healer)
- Chamberpot Emptier (slave)
- Jeanne (slave)
- PJ (slave)
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Based on several pieces of information in Black Dawn, the Dark Kingdom was founded in the mid-to-late 1400s. Delos says that there wasn't any contact with the Outside for 'about five hundred years'; implied to be since its founding. As the events of the book take place in 1997, this puts the Dark Kingdom's inception in approximately the latter half of the 1400s; otherwise the phrasing would likely be something similar to 'nearly six hundred years' instead.