Kings of Rislandia
The Kings of Rislandia were the successive monarchs of the Malaky Dynasty, a royal line descending from Jory Malaky, the founder of Rislandia. The dynasty gave its name to the kingdom's most enduring oaths and traditions, and its rulers were honored through festivals and civic ceremonies observed across the realm. The novels of The Adventures of Baron Von Monocle are set during the reign of King Malaky XVI, the last king of the line before the crown passed to his daughter, Queen Reina I.
Overview
According to A History of Rislandia, the Malaky dynasty traced its origins to Jory Malaky, who led an exodus that resulted in the founding of Rislandia. From that founding, the dynasty's name became inseparable from the kingdom's cultural and civic identity. Nobles swore their oaths to the crown in the name of Malaky, and the most common oath heard throughout the realm was simply "By Malaky!" Variant expressions such as "Malaky's mercy!", "For Malaky's sake!", and "Malaky preserve us!" were woven into everyday speech, reflecting the near-sacred status the dynasty held in the popular imagination.
The line of kings numbered at least sixteen before the succession passed out of the male line. Each king bore the regnal name Malaky followed by a numeral, a tradition that reinforced dynastic continuity across generations.
History
Founding
According to A History of Rislandia, Jory Malaky founded Rislandia following an exodus, establishing the dynasty that would bear his name. The precise circumstances of the founding are recorded in the sourcebook's account of early Rislandian history, which also covers the preceding Orethan Dominion from which the exodus departed.
The Dynasty
The known kings of the Malaky line, each documented on individual pages, are listed below in order of succession.
King Malaky I (Cedric Malaky)
The first king of the dynasty, identified in records by his personal name Cedric Malaky as well as his regnal designation.
King Malaky II
The second monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky III
The third monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky IV
The fourth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky V
The fifth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky VI
The sixth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky VII
The seventh monarch of the Malaky line, whose reign is associated with notable events including an exodus and a poisoning recorded in A History of Rislandia.
King Malaky VIII
The eighth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky IX
The ninth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky X
The tenth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky XI
The eleventh monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky XII
The twelfth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky XIII
The thirteenth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky XIV
The fourteenth monarch of the Malaky line.
King Malaky XV
The fifteenth monarch of the Malaky line, whose reign and assassination are documented separately.
King Malaky XVI
The sixteenth and final king of the Malaky line in the primary novel era. His reign is the setting of The Adventures of Baron Von Monocle. His daughter succeeded him as Queen Reina I, marking the end of the unbroken line of kings.
Traditions and Observances
According to A History of Rislandia, the Winter Festival honored the Malaky dynasty, and nobles renewed their oaths to the crown on Founding Day. These observances reinforced the dynasty's central role in Rislandian civic and cultural life across its entire history.
The oath culture surrounding the Malaky name extended beyond formal ceremony. The expressions "By Malaky!", "Malaky's mercy!", "For Malaky's sake!", and "Malaky preserve us!" were in common use throughout the populace, suggesting that the dynasty's name had acquired a quasi-religious weight in everyday Rislandian speech.
Legacy
The Malaky dynasty shaped Rislandia's identity from its founding through the reign of King Malaky XVI. The Code of Malaky and the Malaky Dynasty page document the broader legal and cultural inheritance of the line. The succession of Queen Reina I represented a historic transition, ending the unbroken succession of kings while preserving dynastic continuity through the female line.