Monarch factions

Monarch Factions rule Iteration 110: Cradle. At present, there are seven or eight factions, depending on whether the assassinated Arelius Monarch counts.

Oldest Monarch?

Emriss Silentborn is the oldest Monarch according to the Author:

Will Wight: “The oldest Monarch is Emriss Silentborn and she only has a couple of Icons. Her connection to them is just very thorough.” (Archive e1822)

BUT, several years earlier, the author also said the oldest is the dragon Seshethkunaaz. Will Wight: Northstrider is older than Reigan Shen, who is older than Malice. The dragon Monarch Sesh is oldest of them all. (Archives e750)
So Emriss may indeed be the oldest but she's a Remnant. Doesn't count among the normal living?

Age & Aging

Monarchs do not age, so they can live for hundreds and even thousands of years, but they usually die in battle before reaching their first millennium. In terms of world-power, Monarchs are a great big hairy deal. They are superpowers. Only Dreadgods can outmatch a Monarch — 5/6th of the world’s rulers died to the beasts in the Dread Wars, roughly 500 years ago. Of course, Iteration 110 is only one world among thousands in The Way. Off world, Monarchs are perhaps similar in power to a lesser Abidan, not a Judge, or a rookie Vroshir.

• see also Advancing to Monarch

Cradle’s Monarchs

Seven Monarchs rule the five continents at the beginning of the Cradle series

• Tiberian Arelius †
  • (Monarch of more than half of Rosegold — assassinated before book 1)

• Reigan Shen - Rosegold continent, a lion (see Sacred Beasts
• Akura Malice - Western Ashwind continent
  • and see Ashwind Continent History for Ashwind’s historical ruling factions
• Seshethkunaaz - Eastern Ashwind continent, a gold dragon (see Sacred Beasts
• Northstrider - Trackless Sea
• Emriss Silentborn - Everwood continent
  • Silentborn is a Remnant of a sacred tree (see Sacred Arts)
• Sha Miara - Ninecloud continent
• The Eight-Man Empire - wandering conquerors, eight united Sages and Heralds harnessing the collective power of one Monarch, with their base typically on the Iceflower continent

Sages and Heralds

After Monarchs, Sages and Heralds are the most powerful sacred artists on Cradle. They will often ally with a Monarch, but some are independent.

• See List of Sages
• See List of Heralds

Factions w/ Bloodline Abilities

Three Monarchs carry a lineage with inheritable bloodline abilities. These abilities helped to put the House on the throne, originally. House Arelius descendants inherit the historic clan Patriarch’s infamous Arelius Sight, a detection madra. Descendants of Akura Malice inherit her expanding purple armor. Luminous Queen Sha Miara inherited her Royal Madra from a long line of ancestors.

• See Bloodline Abilities