The Monarchy in Exile is the secret continuation of the Lyndri royal line, founded in the aftermath of the Pandemic that destroyed their civilization. While the galaxy believes the Lyndri monarchy ended with the fall, the truth is that the Queen's extended family—her pride—survived and has maintained an unbroken line of Queens for three millennia.
Operating from the colony world of Tel'Erani, the Monarchy works in secret toward the day when the Sooni threat can be eliminated and the Lyndri people can be restored to their former glory.
When the Pandemic began ravaging the Lyndri people, the Last Queen, Zy'shiel ("Eternal Life"), realized the truth: the Sooni, not the NorAellians, were responsible for the plague destroying her people. She made a desperate bid for peace, planning to travel directly to NorAel and surrender—hoping to end the war before her species was completely destroyed.
Before departing on her doomed peace mission, Zy'shiel issued two critical orders:
The Queen's peace mission never arrived at NorAel. Whether through Sooni interference or the chaos of war, she and all her direct heirs were lost.
Zy'shiel's younger sister, Zy'rael ("Eternal Guardian"), was sent with the evacuating pride. Young—perhaps only twenty-five—she traveled with her husband, as many Queen's Guard as could be spared, and approximately ten thousand Lyndri: servants, common folk, and others believed to be uninfected by the plague.
They were wrong.
Zy'rael was pregnant when they departed. Her child, infected in utero, became the vector for the plague among the colonists. Within months of the child's birth, Zy'rael's husband sickened. Within a year, every male in the colony was dead.
The first year on what would become Tel'Erani was devastating. Disease, death, and despair reduced the population from ten thousand to barely three thousand. The colony seemed unlikely to survive.
Zy'rael knew the truth her sister had shared: the NorAellians were not the enemy. The Sooni had manipulated both races into war. But her people—three thousand grieving, traumatized women—still believed they were at war with the NorAellians. They believed the NorAellians had caused this.
To save them, Zy'rael had to reach out to the people her colonists believed were trying to exterminate them.
She didn't ask permission. She didn't hold a vote. She didn't try to convince anyone first. She simply did it—made contact with the NorAellians, accepted their help, and dealt with the consequences.
This decision defined the Monarchy in Exile's character for the next three thousand years: do what must be done, carry the weight alone if necessary, and never let comfortable lies endanger your people.
With NorAellian assistance, the colony survived. But without males, natural reproduction was impossible. For the first several generations, children were created artificially—all female, using the combined DNA of the surviving colonists.
Zy'rael's daughter—the child who had unknowingly been the vector for the plague—became the first Queen born on Tel'Erani. She, and every Queen since, has carried the weight of that founding tragedy.
In the three thousand years since the founding, there have been eleven Queens of the Monarchy in Exile:
Each Queen has ruled for approximately 250-350 years, taking the throne as an established adult and serving until death or abdication. The current Queen is young for her position—only in her fifties—having taken the throne when her mother, the Tenth Queen, chose to step down.
The Monarchy in Exile was founded on uncomfortable truths—the Sooni conspiracy, the plague, accepting help from the "enemy." The founders learned early that comfortable lies kill. As a result, the Monarchy developed a culture of aggressive transparency:
This stands in stark contrast to mainstream Lyndri society, which is built on lies about their past, their pandemic, and their relationship with males.
For three thousand years, the Monarchy in Exile has been entirely female. Unlike mainstream Lyndri society—which hoards males and treats women as worthless unless serving men—the Monarchy never developed male worship. There is no breeding duty, no "diplomatic corps" sex trade, no cultural belief that women are inherently worthless.
This creates a profound cultural divide between the Monarchy and the Lyndri they hope to one day restore.
The Monarchy observes Founder's Day in honor of Zy'rael. To the public, it celebrates the founding of the Tel'Erani colony (believed to be approximately 800 years ago). To those within the Monarchy, it commemorates the true founding three millennia past, and the sacrifices Zy'rael made to ensure her people's survival.
The Queen rules absolutely within the Monarchy, though she governs with the counsel of trusted advisors. Publicly, she serves as the Governor of Tel'Erani, maintaining the fiction of democratic colonial government.
The Queen's Guard are elite warriors sworn to protect the Queen and the Monarchy. Unlike the mainstream Lyndri's "King's Guard," the Etalyn'rael maintain the ancient traditions and training of the original royal protectors.
Members of the Queen's Guard are among the most formidable fighters in the galaxy, trained in both ancient Lyndri combat arts and modern warfare.
Membership in the Monarchy in Exile is:
Most Lyndri on Tel'Erani are not members of the Monarchy—they are simply refugees who have found haven on the colony. Some non-Lyndri are members, including trusted NorAellian allies who have proven their dedication to the Lyndri cause.
The Monarchy has maintained a secret alliance with the NorAellians since the founding. NorAellian scientists have helped the Monarchy survive and even make progress against the Pandemic. In recent years, this alliance has grown closer, with key NorAellian figures (including Ambassador Kashk) being brought fully into the Monarchy's confidence.
The relationship between the Monarchy in Exile and New Horizons is complicated. Both claim legitimate authority over the Lyndri people:
Both factions can level the same accusation at the other: "If you're so legitimate, why are you still in hiding?"
Despite this tension, both groups work toward the same ultimate goal: the restoration of the Lyndri people and the defeat of the Sooni.
Recently, the Monarchy has made contact with the Sooni Heretics, leading to the first real advances in combating the Pandemic in centuries.
The Monarchy in Exile maintains several ongoing operations: